Buehrle & Blue Jays Top Scuffling Rangers 8-0
ARLINGTON (AP) — Mark Buehrle threw seven shutout innings, Colby Rasmus and J.P. Arencibia homered, and the Toronto Blue Jays handed the Texas Rangers their fourth straight loss, 8-0 on Friday night.
Buehrle (3-4) improved to 13-5 against the Rangers. The left-hander gave up four singles and equaled his season high with seven strikeouts to win his first road game of the year.
Rasmus hit a three-run shot in the fourth, and Arencibia capped the inning with a solo shot as the Blue Jays won for the sixth time in eight games.
Texas starter Justin Grimm (5-5) allowed 10 hits and seven runs in 7 2-3 innings. The rookie is 0-2 with an 11.66 ERA in his last three starts.
Texas has scored only five runs in its slide, its longest since another four-game skid from July 3-6, 2012.
The Rangers' frustration over the lack of offense boiled over in the sixth inning when shortstop Elvis Andrus was ejected after being called out on strikes by umpire Eric Cooper.
Andrus yelled at Cooper from the dugout, and a bat was tossed onto the field after the shortstop was tossed.
The 2 hour, 8 minute game ended when Lance Berkman grounded into a double play, the Rangers' third of the game. It was the quickest game played at Texas since May 23, 2011.
Edwin Encarnacion led off the fourth with a double, and Adam Lind followed with a single.
Rasmus then lined an 0-2 pitch from Grimm over the fence in right field. One out later, Arencibia gave the Blue Jays a 4-0 lead with a solo shot to left.
In the fifth, Encarnacion hit a two-out double off the wall in left and scored on Lind's single.
That was plenty of support for Buehrle, who threw a no-hitter against the Rangers in 2007. Texas had only one batter reach second base against Buehrle on Friday.
Adrian Beltre singled to lead off the second, and Nelson Cruz walked. Buehrle got out of trouble when Chris McGuiness bounced into a double play to end the threat.
Buehrle had been 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in six road starts this season.
Toronto added to its lead on Melky Cabrera's RBI groundout in the seventh. Maicer Izturis had a run-scoring double in the eighth to push the advantage to 7-0. Rajai Davis added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
The Rangers were without infielder Jeff Baker, who missed the game after spraining his right wrist receiving a high five from what he called an "overexcited" teammate before Thursday's game. Baker didn't identify the teammate.
The right-handed hitting Baker, who is batting .386 against left-handers, was expected to start against Buehrle.
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