Cecil Tosses 4-Hitter For Jays In Win Against Rangers
ARLINGTON (AP) – Brett Cecil pitched a four-hitter for his second complete game in his last four starts as Toronto beat the Texas Rangers 3-0 on Sunday night.
It was the first career shutout for Cecil (3-4), whose only other complete game in his 55 games was in a loss July 5 at Boston. The left-hander allowed only four singles to the AL West-leading Rangers, who had only one runner reach second base.
Jose Bautista had an RBI double and a diving catch in an unusual spot to back up Cecil, who struck out seven and walked two.
Bautista's hit sent home Yunel Escobar, who led off the sixth with his third hit. Edwin Encarnacion and Travis Snider had consecutive RBI doubles later in the inning off All-Star right-hander Alexi Ogando (10-4).
Until Nelson Cruz reached with a two-out infield hit in the ninth on a slow roller toward third base, the other Rangers singles had been leading off innings. They still were never able to put together a run-scoring frame against Cecil.
The AL West-leading Rangers lost for only the third time in 17 games overall, and had their nine-game home winning streak ended.
It was the fifth time this season the Rangers were shut out, but the first by an individual pitcher.
In the field, the Blue Jays used a drastic shift against some of the Texas left-handers that had third baseman Bautista playing short right field -- much like the rover in a softball game. Bautista started the bottom of the sixth with a diving catch of Mitch Moreland's sinking liner.
The only Texas runner to get to second base was Craig Gentry, who singled twice -- a bunt single in third and another hit in the eighth. He got to second in the eighth after tagging up on a long flyball by Moreland.
Gentry was briefly stunned when his helmet came off and he slid headfirst into the back side of second baseman Aaron Hill's leg. Gentry stayed down on the ground briefly and was checked out by a trainer. He stayed in the game.
Ogando had won his previous three starts this month following a three-game losing streak. He struck out six and walked two in 6 2-3 innings.
Each of Toronto's first four innings ended with Ogando striking out a batter, the same way the fifth inning started. After Escobar and Eric Thames had consecutive two-out singles in the third, Ogando got out of that jam when he threw a 96 mph fastball past Bautista.
Bautista didn't miss in the sixth, and got the Blue Jays going in their decisive outburst.
Toronto had also scored three runs in the sixth inning Saturday night to take a 4-3 lead in that game, but Texas won with two runs in a ninth-inning rally that included three sacrifice bunts -- one a suicide squeeze -- before Michael Young's game-ending hit.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
