Rangers 1 - 6 Blue Jays
Final
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Cabrera homers as Blue Jays down Rangers

Jun 8, 2013 - 4:36 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Melky Cabrera went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers, 6-1, in the opener of a three-game series at Rogers Centre.

Edwin Encarnacion had a pair of RBI as well while Adam Lind and J.P. Arencibia each contributed with an RBI for the Blue Jays, who meet the Rangers six more times in the next nine days.

Neil Wagner (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief to earn his first career win. Toronto's bullpen was stellar with four pitchers combining to allow just one hit over five innings.

"They've been on a nice little roll," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of the bullpen. "We have some different ways we can attack you with some lefties and some righties. They're kind of feeding off themselves right now."

Nick Tepesch (3-5) yielded a season-high six runs on five hits with six strikeouts over seven frames. The right-hander is winless in his last four starts with his team only scoring six runs in those outings.

"He was good except for that sixth inning," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of Tepesch. "It's a good learning experiencing for the kid. He just has to learn to continue to execute as long as he has a chance to stay in the ballgame."

With the game tied at 1-1, the Blue Jays used a four-run sixth inning to open up the game.

Munenori Kawasaki was hit by a pitch to start the inning, followed by a Cabrera single and a Jose Bautista walk to load the bases with no outs. Encarnacion's two-run double broke the tie.

Lind and Arencibia hit back-to-back sacrifice flies to increase the lead to 5-1.

The Rangers' lone run came in the first when Adrian Beltre singled to center to score Jurickson Profar, extending his hitting streak to 12 games. Profar singled and advanced to second on a balk to get in scoring position.

Blue Jays starter Esmil Rogers threw four effective innings surrendering just one run on three hits and striking out six. This was his second start of the season after being used mostly as a reliever.

The Blue Jays added on another run in the seventh on Cabrera's third hit of the night, a single to right, to bring in Kawasaki all the way from first.

Game Notes

Rogers' 13 1/3 scoreless-inning streak came to an in the first inning ... Blue Jays reliever Aaron Loup has not walked a batter in 13 straight innings ... Texas was 1-for-3 with RISP ... Toronto's bullpen has gone 17 2/3 innings without allowing a run.






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