Rangers Falter Early In 10-3 Loss To Blue Jays
ARLINGTON (AP) – Matt Harrison was quickly in trouble, and so were the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers' left-hander gave up singles on the first two pitches he threw and walked three of the next four batters after that as Toronto scored five runs in the first innings and went on to a 10-3 victory Tuesday night.
"It was a night I want to forget," Harrison said. "They came out swinging the bat, then I kind of got out of my game, walked a few guys and made it worse than it should have been."
Harrison allowed seven runs and eight hits in only three innings, and has lost consecutive starts since a 3-0 starts.
At least in his previous loss last week, he pitched into the seventh of a 4-1 loss against the Los Angeles Angels while Jered Weaver threw a complete game.
This time, Harrison never gave the AL West-leading Rangers a chance.
Toronto got two quick singles, a liner to right by Yunel Escobar and a bunt by Corey Patterson. Jose Bautista then walked before Adam Lind singled to right on the next pitch. There were two bases-loaded walks before the Rangers finally got outs when Travis Snider grounded into a double play to third baseman Adrian Beltre that sent another runner home.
"After I got in trouble that first inning, I wasn't really thinking. I was just out there throwing," Harrison said. "I didn't give us a chance."
Lind homered twice and drove in five runs for the Blue Jays. That's nine homers in his last 12 games in Texas, including three multihomer games.
"He hits us pretty good," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "I hope we figure out how to get him out the next two days."
Jesse Litsch (2-1), recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to make the start, held Texas to three runs and seven hits over six innings. The big right-hander struck out one and walked two.
Texas got all of its runs in the second after consecutive hits by the bottom four batters in the order. After David Murphy's two-out double, Yorvit Torrealba had an RBI single, Chris Davis doubled and Julio Borbon hit a two-run single.
After Lind's homer leading off the third, the Blue Jays had three consecutive singles. Snider's hit drove in another run to make it 7-3 against Harrison.
"It just wasn't his night," Washington said. "They were jumping all over his fastball and everything was up. He might have one or two starts like that all season."
Brett Tomko took over for Harrison to start the fourth. Patterson doubled and Bautista walked again before Lind hit a towering 418-foot shot to right.
It was Tomko's second appearance since the Rangers purchased his contract from Triple-A Round Rock last Friday after the 38-year-old right-hander had had been out of the major leagues since 2009 because of a nerve problem.
Tomko gave up a three-run homer for the second straight game, but struck out five in five innings.
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