Rangers start fast, get back to .500 with 6-1 win over Jays
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Carlos Gomez homered in a four-run first inning, Nick Martinez allowed two hits while taking a shutout into the seventh and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Tuesday night.
Adrian Beltre had a solo homer in the eighth for his 2,960th career hit as the Rangers (35-35) got back to .500 while the Blue Jays (34-36) dropped to 0-8 this season when trying to reach the break-even mark for the first time.
Toronto beat two-time defending AL West champion Texas in a Division Series each of the past two seasons, as the AL East winner in 2015 and as a wild-card last year.
Delino DeShields led off for the Rangers with a bunt single and scored on an RBI groundout by Beltre before Gomez's seventh homer and run-scoring hits from Jonathan Lucroy and Mike Napoli.
Martinez (2-3) didn't allow more than one baserunner in any inning, giving up one run and striking out two in 6 1/3 innings for the right-hander's first win since May 19 at Detroit.