ARLINGTON, Texas – Russell Martin homered and hit a pair of RBI singles to back six solid innings from Marco Estrada, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers 8-5 on Friday night.
Martin’s drive to left field for an 8-0 lead in the sixth came right after Yangervis Solarte connected on a solo shot . It was the second homer of the season for both in a game delayed 36 minutes at the start by rain.
Estrada (1-0) took a two-hit shutout into the sixth before Shin-Soo Choo homered for the third straight game. After two singles and a walk with two outs, Estrada got Robinson Chirinos on a flyout on the right-hander’s 105th and final pitch.
Twice a dominant winner in Arlington when Toronto beat Texas in back-to-back AL Division Series in 2015-16, Estrada allowed five hits and a run with a walk and seven strikeouts.
Roberto Osuna allowed two singles but got Choo to ground into a double play in a scoreless ninth for his third save.
Matt Moore (0-2) had his second straight rough start for the Rangers after leading the NL with 15 losses last season in San Francisco. The left-hander allowed five hits, four walks and six runs _ five earned _ in 3 1/3 innings. Moore also hit Martin with a pitch.
Josh Donaldson drove in a run among two singles and scored twice, and Solarte walked his first three times up.
A day after becoming the Latin American leader in hits, Adrian Beltre had three more to break a tie with Rickey Henderson for 24th on the career list and is now at 3,058. He and Choo each doubled in a run in a four-run seventh. Elvis Andrus added an RBI single, his third hit.
RANGERS-PADRES TRADE
The Rangers traded C Brett Nicholas to San Diego for a player to be named or cash. Nicholas, who had been at extended spring training with the Rangers, was assigned to the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in El Paso.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: Manager John Gibbons said backup SS Aledmys Diaz was available after experiencing back spasms last week.
Rangers: Chirinos returned after injuring his wrist on a tag at the plate Wednesday in Oakland. He likely would have been out of the lineup anyway for Thursday’s day game after a night game. Chirinos said he didn’t feel the need for an X-ray.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (0-0, 7.20 ERA) gave up seven runs in four innings in his first regular-season appearance at the home of the Rangers last season, an 11-4 loss. He also lost Game 2 of the AL Division Series in Arlington in 2015.
Rangers: LHP Mike Minor (0-1, 3.86) gave up three hits and two runs in 4 2/3 innings in his Texas debut and first major league start since 2014, an 8-2 loss to Houston. He was a starter in Atlanta before shoulder surgery sidelined him for two years. Minor returned as a reliever in Kansas City last season.
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