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McCarthy tosses a gem as Rangers take down Blue Jays

May 5, 2007 - 4:09 AM ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- The Texas Rangers finally got their young pitcher to pitch up to his vast potential.

Brandon McCarthy turned in his finest outing of the season to lead the Rangers to a 7-1 victory Friday over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Hank Blalock and Kenny Lofton each homered and Michael Young scored two runs and had three hits to break out of a 1-for-17 slump.

"We put together, what we hadn't been putting together (before) tonight," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We hit, pitched, ran the bases and played defense."

McCarthy pitched six strong innings, yielding two hits and one run. The young starter pitched around four walks to earn his first win since April 9 against Tampa Bay.

McCarthy came into the game with a 9.90 ERA and just one win this season. The 23-year-old righthander was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in the offseason in exchange for top pitching prospect John Danks with the expectation that he would grow into the ace of the staff.

"(McCarthy) had it going tonight," Washington said. "He hit his spots, had a good fastball, changed speeds and gave us what we needed. I saw some fight in him tonight, you could just see the determination."

His unimpressive start to the season included four outings - three starts - in which he lasted three innings or less.

"I was on a mission to throw more than three innings," McCarthy said. "I needed a quality outing, I knew this was a big start. I had a good fastball, but no control of my changeup so I used my curve and slider as my other pitches."

Blue Jays starter Tomo Ohka continued to have a tough time transitioning from the National League. The Japanese hurler, who has spent the last seven seasons in the NL, allowed seven runs - six earned - and 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings.

"Ohka gave us some key innings out there tonight," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "He gutted it out and I really didn't think he pitched that badly, it was just those two tough innings and boom."

Ohka surrendered two homers and has allowed eight blasts already this season.

Texas got on the board in the bottom of the second when Gerald Laird's single to left plated Brad Wilkerson and Blalock.

Toronto's lone run cut the lead in half. Journeyman catcher Sal Fasano clubbed his first homer of the season off McCarthy in the third. It was Fasano's first for the Blue Jays - the seventh different team for which he has homered in his 10-year career.

A big bottom of the third provided McCarthy with all the support he needed. Mark Teixiera doubled home a run and came home on Blalock's blast. It was the third baseman's second homer this season.

"We came out on Ohka tonight and took advantage of him early," Washington said. "He took advantage of us last time but we figured out what he was doing."

Rangers shortstop Michael Young ended a three-game hitless streak going 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

"We felt a lot better tonight," Young said. "We were tired of making excuses because we know we're capable of better things."

The Rangers added a run in the fifth on Lofton's solo shot and Blalock singled in another in the eighth to complete the scoring.