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Blue Jays outlast Rangers in 18-inning marathon

Jun 9, 2013 - 2:30 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Rajai Davis singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 18th inning, as the Toronto Blue Jays outlasted the Texas Rangers, 4-3, at Rogers Centre.

Davis likely didn't expect to play a full nine innings (and then some) when he entered the game in the top of the eighth.

Chance after chance after chance went by the wayside for both clubs before Davis ended the marathon with a chopper down the third-base line with two outs to score Emilio Bonifacio, who had singled and reached third on a errant pickoff attempt by Ross Wolf (1-1).

"I had a feeling he was going to try to sink it in, just to get ahead," Davis said of Wolf's pitch attempt. "It seems that's been his pitch. I was able to square it up."

Aside from the costly error, it was a fantastic performance for Wolf as the right-hander tossed 6 2/3 innings.

Aaron Loup (3-3), the ninth pitcher used by Toronto, earned the win after getting out of a jam in the top of the 18th. The first two Texas batters reached base as David Murphy doubled and Loup hit A.J. Pierzynski with a pitch. Murphy, however, was picked off and Loup got a pair of groundouts to shut down the threat.

The 18 innings matched the longest game in the history of both teams.

Adam Lind had four hits for a Blue Jays team that lost in 17 innings at San Diego on May 31. Colby Rasmus supplied a two-run triple for Toronto, which has won three games in a row.

The Rangers, meanwhile, are heading in the opposite direction, having equaled a season-high with a third straight loss.

Each club had a boatload of opportunities to score runs, but failed to capitalize numerous times. Texas finished 1-for-19 with runners in scoring position and left 17 men on base. Davis' game-winning single was only Toronto's second hit in 17 at-bats with a runner in scoring position.

"We put ourselves in position and we needed one big hit, but we just couldn't get it," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "I'm very proud of the job Wolf did."

After stranding two runners in each of the first two innings, Rasmus delivered with two outs in the third off Texas starter Yu Darvish. Rasmus scored on a stray relay throw after finding the gap in right-center to bring home Edwin Encarnacion and Lind.

Toronto starter Mark Buehrle kept the Rangers off the board Jeff Baker crushed a solo home run to left in the seventh.

Texas then pulled even in the ninth against Casey Janssen, who was charged with his first blown save of the year. Three straight pinch-hitters reached base after Baker grounded out to open the frame.

Leonys Martin singled, Murphy walked and Pierzynski contributed an RBI single. Elvis Andrus made it 3-3 with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Rangers loaded the bases with no outs in the 10th and came up empty against Dustin McGowan, who made his season debut after being activated from the 60-day disabled list. Martin lined into an inning-ending double play as Lance Berkman was thrown out at home by right fielder Jose Bautista.

It was just McGowan's sixth game since 2008 following a series of surgeries on his right shoulder.

Game Notes

The Rangers have dropped seven of their last eight games on the road ... Lind has recorded nine multi-hit games over his last 14 contests ... Texas' Adrian Beltre extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a leadoff single in the second ... The Blue Jays' bullpen had gone 19 consecutive innings without allowing a run ... McGowan made his first appearance for Toronto since Sept. 26, 2011.