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Lind homers twice in Toronto's victory

Jun 9, 2009 - 4:28 AM By DAVID JIMENEZ Associated Press Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas(AP) -- Rod Barajas didn't think it would be difficult to catch Rangers center fielder Marlon Byrd from behind on a rundown at third base.

Then the 33-year-old catcher realized something in the middle of the chase.

"I forgot how fast he is and how slow I am," Barajas said.

Barajas protected Toronto's lead with a diving tag on Byrd after Texas failed to put down a squeeze bunt in the sixth, and Adam Lind homered twice and drove in four runs as the Blue Jays snapped a nine-game road losing steak by beating the Rangers 6-3 Monday night.

Texas scored three runs in the sixth to cut Toronto's lead to 4-3 and had runners on first and third with one out. Elvis Andrus didn't make contact on a squeeze bunt, and Byrd was way off third.

After a faking a throw to Scott Rolen, Barajas was committed to running down Byrd himself. The former Rangers catcher lunged toward Byrd and barely clipped him before he slid into the bag.

"I thought it was going to be an easy tag play," Barajas said. "I got lucky and fell on his foot."

Before Barajas' defensive gem, Lind provided the offensive pop.

Lind, who is 18 for 40 his last 10 games, hit two-run shots in the second and fourth innings off Rangers starter Scott Feldman for the first multi-homer game of his career.

"The kid had a great night," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "He's getting better all the time."

Casey Janssen (2-2) gave up three runs, six hits and struck out six in 5 1-3 innings. The right-hander made his fourth start after missing 2008 with a torn labrum.

Scott Downs got the final out in the eighth and pitched the ninth to earn his eighth save in nine chances.

Rolen and Marco Scutaro each had three hits for Toronto, which had not won away from home since beating Oakland on May 10.

Toronto has won six of 10 since going 0-9 on a road trip May 19-27.

"That road trip was two weeks ago," Lind said. "It's not even in our memory anymore."

Feldman (5-1) lost for the first time in nine starts. He allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings.

The first-place Rangers, who announced before the game that outfielder Josh Hamilton will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a partial tear in an abdominal muscle and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, lost for only the fourth time in their last 16 home games.

"I didn't feel like it was one of my better games." Feldman said. "I tried to hang in there as long as I could."

Janssen took a four-hit shutout into the sixth before Texas loaded the bases with no outs.

Byrd drove in a run with an infield single, Nelson Cruz scored on a wild pitch and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit an RBI single to cut Toronto's lead to 4-3.

Rangers manager Ron Washington called for a squeeze bunt, the first time this season he's called for one.

"I felt I had the right guy at the plate to get the squeeze down and tie the game," said Washington, who had his option for 2010 picked up by Texas earlier Monday.

Frasor retired Andrus on a flyout to preserve Toronto's one-run lead in the sixth.

"We had a lot of opportunities," Washington said. "We just couldn't get any two-out hits."

Vernon Wells drew a leadoff walk before Lind's first homer gave the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead in the second.

Wells walked again in the fourth, and Lind made it 4-0 with his shot to left-center.

Scutaro had an RBI single and Aaron Hill added a sacrifice fly in the ninth to widen Toronto's advantage to 6-3.

Notes: Washington said after the game that Rangers closer Frank Francisco was not available for a fourth straight game because of shoulder inflammation. ... Rolen returned to the lineup after missing the previous two games because of a sore back. ... Rangers LHP Matt Harrison (shoulder) could return from the disabled list to start Thursday against Toronto. He threw in the bullpen Monday. If Harrison is not ready to return, LHP Derek Holland would start Thursday. ... Blue Jays 1B Lyle Overbay singled in the second to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.