Randal Grichuk, Teoscar Hernandez and Billy McKinney hit solo home runs, and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Texas Rangers 3-0 Tuesday night.
The Blue Jays have won the first two games of the three-game series and lead the season series 3-2 heading into the finale Wednesday afternoon.
Left-hander Thomas Pannone (3-5), the Blue Jays' second pitcher of the game, tossed four scoreless innings while allowing two hits and two walks. He had three strikeouts.
Ken Giles, pitching for the first time since Aug. 7 because of elbow inflammation, allowed only a walk in the ninth to earn his 16th save.
Rangers right-hander Lance Lynn (14-8) surrendered one run, four hits and three walks while striking out six in five innings. He took his second straight loss.
Toronto opener Wilmer Font escaped the first inning after the Rangers loaded the bases with one out on two walks and a double.
Font came back for a perfect second inning. Grichuk led off the bottom of the second with his 22nd home run of the season.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases with one out in the fourth with two singles and a walk.
Lynn worked out of the situation when Brandon Drury, who hit a grand slam on Monday, popped out to first and center fielder Delino DeShields fell back into the wall making the inning-ending catch on Reese McGuire's drive.
DeShields hit the back of his head on the base of the wall after making the grab but got to his feet and walked off the field after being tended to by a trainer. He stayed in the game.
Pannone pitched around two walks in the fourth and doubles in the fifth and sixth.
Shawn Kelley replaced Lynn for the bottom of the sixth inning and allowed back-to-back one-out homers, the 19th of the season by Hernandez and the ninth by McKinney.
Grichuk had two of Toronto's six hits. Danny Santana collected two of Texas' five hits.
Blue Jays relievers Tim Mayza and Derek Law each struck out two in one inning before Giles completed the shutout.
--Field Level Media
Texas | Toronto | |
Lance Lynn | Player | Wilmer Font |
Loss | W/L | No Decision |
5.0 | IP | 2.0 |
6 | Strikeouts | 2 |
4 | Hits | 1 |
1.80 | ERA | 0.00 |
Texas | Toronto | |
Danny Santana | Player | Randal Grichuk |
2 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 1 |
0 | HR | 1 |
4 | TB | 5 |
.500 | Avg | .500 |