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Rangers down Blue Jays, end eight-game skid

Jul 19, 2014 - 5:46 AM Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Yu Darvish piled up 12 strikeouts, J.P. Arencibia belted a three-run homer in his return to Toronto, and the Texas Rangers broke an eight-game skid with a 5-1 triumph over the Blue Jays.

Darvish (9-5) tied a season-high in strikeouts over his 6 2/3-inning effort and got the run support that eluded him when he faced Toronto May 16 in Arlington. He fanned 11 over eight frames in that contest, but came away with a 2-0 loss thanks to Melky Cabrera's two-run double in the eighth.

On Friday, Darvish allowed three walks and five hits, including a homer to Colby Rasmus in the seventh inning.

Arencibia played for Toronto his first four seasons in the majors before signing with Texas in the offseason. He went 0-for-3 in his first game against the Blue Jays on May 16, but on Friday delivered the big blow in his first game back in the majors since that contest.

"Obviously there were a lot of memories this being my first day," Arencibia said. "It's nice to be able to come back and help the team win."

He was sent to the minors after going 8-for-60 (.133) at the plate, but belted 14 homers in 48 games at Triple-A Round Rock while hitting .279 with 41 RBI. Friday marked the first time he started at first base in his career.

Adrian Beltre belted a solo homer and Rougned Odor added an RBI triple among his three hits for the Rangers, who won for only the second time (2-12) this month.

R.A. Dickey (7-10) was charged with six hits and five runs over seven innings. The righty has given up 18 homers this year.

The Blue Jays, who went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, struck out 17 times and lost for the ninth time in 11 games.

Beltre, who played the final four innings at third base in Tuesday's All-Star Game, turned on a 3-1 pitch from Dickey and homered to left to start the fifth inning. Arencibia was later hit by a pitch, and Odor followed with a triple to right-center.

Jake Smolinski and Leonys Martin singled ahead of Arencibia's second homer of the year, a shot to left in the seventh for a 5-0 cushion.

"In that seventh inning I threw a couple of really good knuckleballs that they got singles on and then J.P. timed one up right and it was not one of my better ones," Dickey said. "The next thing you know we're down five runs to one of the best pitchers in the league."

Rasmus went deep to right leading off the bottom of the frame, but the Blue Jays wasted an opportunity with two men in scoring position. Josh Thole walked and likely would have scored on Munenori Kawasaki's hit to right-center, which bounced off the turf and then hit the top of the wall before going over it for a ground-rule double.

Jose Reyes then popped up to shortstop Elvis Andrus in shallow center field, and Neal Cotts replaced Darvish with runners at second and third and retired Cabrera on a fly ball to right.

Game Notes

Dickey, who took the loss Sunday at Tampa Bay became the first Blue Jay to start consecutive games for the club since A.J. Burnett did so in 2008 under the same circumstances prior to All-Star break ... Beltre moved past Gary Gaetti (2,282) for third-most games played at third base in major league history. Brooks Robinson (2,870) tops the list and Graig Nettles (2,412) is second ... The Rangers beat the Blue Jays for just the third time in the last 11 meetings.