Blue Jays Complete Rangers Sweep With 7-2 Win
ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) — The Texas Rangers entered Sunday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays trying to avoid a six-game losing streak and the team's first four-game sweep since 2010. Blue Jays starter Chien-Ming Wang had different plans.
Wang won for the first time in more than a year, limiting Rangers bats to seven hits in seven shutout innings, and the Blue Jays completed the sweep with a 7-2 win on Sunday.
The Rangers fell to 1-6 on a season-high, 11-game homestand, dropping six straight for the first time since April 15-21, 2010.
>>See photos from Sunday's game<<
"They're struggling right now, but I believe in them," said Texas manager Ron Washington following the game. "We're going to move forward."
Washington held a closed-doors meeting with players following the game, but declined to divulge what was discussed.
Derek Holland (5-4) struggled early, allowing four earned-runs on 10 hits in six-plus innings for the Rangers. But the story once again was the Rangers' offense, which has now scored two runs or less in six consecutive home games.
An RBI-single by Elvis Andrus and an Ian Kinsler walk in the ninth inning helped the Rangers avoid their fifth shutout of the season.
"Sometimes we're trying to do too much; sometimes we're trying less," said Andrus, who snapped an 0-for-12 slump with his infield single. "The only thing you can not stop doing is playing hard -- stay positive and try to find a way to win games."
Wang collected his first win since last June 12 with the Washington Nationals, striking out five and walking two in seven scoreless innings.
J.P. Arencibia started the scoring for Toronto in the second inning with a two-run shot to left field. It was the first home run Holland had surrendered in his last five starts, ending the second-longest homerless streak of his career.
Rasmus then led off the fourth inning with a line-drive off the foul pole in right field for his 13th homer of the season. Holland had not surrendered a HR to a left-handed hitter since May 30, 2012 (30 starts).
After an RBI single by Jose Bautista in the seventh, reliever Kyle McClellan came on and surrendered a three-run homer to Adam Lind. Lind finished the series with two home runs and six RBIs.
The Rangers stranded 11 men on base, finishing the game 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. During their six-game losing streak, the team is batting just .118 (4-for-34) in scoring opportunities.
The Rangers will complete their 11-game homestand with a four-game series against the division leading Oakland Athletics starting Monday.
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