Blue Jays edge Rangers in 11 innings

Baseball Betting Lines

04/22/2009 - Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Millar doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the 11th after Toronto blew a three-run lead in the ninth, as the Blue Jays got past Texas, 8-7, in the middle contest of three-game set from the Rogers Centre.

Rod Barajas slugged a pair of two-run homers and Alex Rios had four hits with two RBI for Toronto, which has wins in three of its last four. Jose Bautista also collected four hits and scored twice while Millar scored twice and banged out three hits in the win.

B.J. Ryan was tasked with holding the lead in the ninth, but started by hitting Chris Davis with a pitch and walking Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Ian Kinsler plated the first run with a fielder's choice grounder to second, that looked to be a sure double-play ball, but Aaron Hill's throw from second was wide of the bag and Kinsler took second on the throw. Kinsler then stole third to set up pinch-hitter Josh Hamilton's RBI ground out.

Michael Young then took Ryan deep to left-center, tying the game at seven.

Young also doubled twice, knocked in two and scored twice for Texas, which handed Toronto ace Roy Halladay his first loss of the season on Tuesday in the series opener. Saltalamacchia also ended with two RBI in defeat.

After Millar ended the bottom of the ninth with a double-play ball, Jason Frasor (3-0) was called upon to hold off the Rangers, and he did with two perfect frames of work.

Vernon Wells worked a walk off C.J. Wilson (0-2) to start the home 11th and moved up on Travis Snider's sacrifice bunt. Scott Rolen was issued an intentional free pass and Darren O'Day, acquired off waivers from the Mets earlier in the day, was summoned from the pen. Millar worked the count to 2-2 before taking a slider into the gap in left-center to end the game.

David Purcey limited the Rangers to three runs on seven hits and two walks over 5 1/3 frames while striking out six, but was denied his first victory of the 2009 season thanks to Ryan's antics in the ninth.

Matt Harrison was touched for five runs on nine hits and two walks over four innings in his start for Texas.

The Blue Jays jumped on top 2-0 in the second inning. Millar lined a two-out single into center and Harrison left a 1-1 changeup up in the zone as Barajas took it out to left field for the early lead.

Texas tied it just as quickly, though, as Nelson Cruz led off the third with a single and advanced to third on Davis' double to the left-field gap. Saltalamacchia roped a two-run single to left to even the score.

Barajas' second two-run shot of the game highlighted a three-run fourth as the Jays took a 5-2 lead. Millar doubled to left with one down and Barajas launched a slider deep to left. Bautista followed with a base-hit, moved to third on Hill's two-out single and crossed home on an RBI single by Rios.

Omar Vizquel singled and scored on a Young double in the fifth, cutting the Rangers' deficit to 5-3, but the Jays tacked on two more in the sixth off Scott Feldman on RBI singles by Rios and Adam Lind.

Texas got a run off Scott Downs in the eighth as Young doubled to right leading off, advanced to third on an Andruw Jones single and scored on a fielder's choice grounder from Marlon Byrd.

Game Notes

Texas split its eight games with the Blue Jays last season, but won both matchups held at the Rogers Centre...Kevin Millwood (1-1) gets the start in Thursday's series finale for Texas opposite Toronto's Scott Richmond (1-0)... The Rangers placed right-handed pitcher Kris Benson on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday, retroactive to April 16, with right elbow tendinitis. The club also acquired O'Day and transferred pitcher Dustin Nippert from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list.