The Texas Rangers used a four-run second inning against Dylan Cease to take down the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1 at Globe Life Field.
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Friday night’s pitching matchup did not favor the Texas Rangers. Good thing for Texas. Baseball games aren’t played on paper.
The Rangers struck for a four-run second inning against American League Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease, while Kumar Rocker allowed just one run as the Rangers took down the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1.
“Really good at-bats and with runners in scoring position, some guys got some timely hits,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said after the game.
“We had traffic all night; it was exactly what we were hoping for. We got into their bullpen as early as we could; they were matching up really well, but we got some big hits at the right time, and we ended up having some cushion for our bullpen.”
From the jump, Cease’s lack of command was apparent as he walked two of the first three batters he faced in the first inning. However, Texas was unable to get anything from it as Brandon Nimmo bounced into an inning-ending double play.
It wouldn’t take the Rangers much longer to get on the board as, after a pair of walks and a single from Nicky Lopez, it was a 41-mph infield squibber combined with a Toronto throwing error that plated the first two Texas runs.
Ezequiel Duran and Corey Seager would each come through with RBI hits as the next two batters, capping off the Rangers' four-run second.
As for Rocker, he cruised through the first four innings but ran into some trouble in the fifth as he allowed a one-out RBI double to Blue Jays nine-hole hitter Myles Straw, which would end his night.
Tyler Alexander came on for Texas to strand a pair of runners, hold the 4-1 lead, and officially close Rocker’s line.
In the fifth and sixth, the Rangers would score a pair of runs on a Jake Burger sacrifice fly and Wyatt Langford bases-loaded walk, respectively, to extend their lead to 6-1.
Burger would come through with another RBI in the seventh as he smoked an RBI double off the center field wall to score Langford.
Trevor Williams provided a great effort out of the bullpen as he fired four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out four to close the game in a much-needed performance.
“I had five guys down in the bullpen, so we were pretty limited,” Schumaker said. “Williams came in, and we obviously haven’t used him in a little bit, but he had length, so we just kept riding him as long as he could. He was gassed at the end of that game, but he said, ‘I can give you another one if you need it and that told me what kind of guy he is.”
