(Sports Network) – Vernon Wells went 3-for-3 with a pair of solo homers and Adam Lind clubbed a two-run shot, as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the American League West-leading Texas Rangers, 8-5, in the second of a four- game set at Rogers Centre.
John Buck added a solo homer, while Jose Bautista chipped in with a two-run double for Toronto, which has won three straight after dropping five of its previous six.
Shaun Marcum (12-7) threw seven solid innings, yielding three runs on six hits with a pair of walks and striking out eight in taking the win. Kevin Gregg retired the final two batters in the ninth to record his 31st save.
Vladimir Guerrero hit a two-run homer and Andres Blanco went 2-for-4 with three RBI for the Rangers, who have lost eight of their last 10, but still lead the division by 6 1/2 games ahead of second-place Oakland. The Athletics host Seattle on Tuesday.
Scott Feldman (6-10), replacing left-hander Cliff Lee, who was scratched with a back ailment, allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk over 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander fanned four.
The Rangers, who have lost five in a row overall, have lost seven straight contests to the Blue Jays.
Buck opened the scoring with a two-out homer that just cleared the right-field wall. It was originally ruled a double, but after the umpires briefly reviewed the call, it was overturned.
Texas went ahead in the fourth when David Murphy led off with a ground-rule double and Guerrero followed by crushing a first-pitch fastball into the second deck in left for a 2-1 Rangers lead. However, Wells’ long homer leading off the bottom portion evened things.
With runners on second and third, and two outs in the fifth, Bautista chased both in with a double into the right-center field gap.
DeWayne Wise’s two-out double just inside the third base bag in the home sixth brought in Buck, who reached on a base hit. Blanco got a run back in the seventh on a broken bat RBI single to cut the Rangers’ deficit to 5-3.
However, in the bottom half, Wells belted his second solo shot of the game and Hill drew a walk two batters later. Darren Oliver took over for Darren O’Day and Lind’s two-run shot made it 8-3.
Jason Frasor tossed a scoreless eighth in relief of Marcum and Shawn Camp was summoned from the Jays’ bullpen for the ninth. The right-hander gave up a two- run single to Blanco and Julio Borbon reached with a base hit. Gregg replaced Camp and got Ian Kinsler to ground into a fielder’s choice for the second out before Michael Young lined out to center that ended the game.
Game Notes
Texas continued to play without the AL’s best hitter in Josh Hamilton, who missed his third straight game with a rib cage injury…The Blue Jays have won seven of their eight matchups with the Rangers this season…Feldman dropped to 0-4 in nine career games — six starts — against Toronto.