TORONTO -- Roy Oswalt pitched well in a spot start, working out of jams and limiting his pitch count to 62 pitches over 4 2/3 innings. But he didn't get the final out of the fifth and wasn't the winning pitcher after the Rangers held on for a 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon at the Rogers Centre.
The win went to Michael Kirkman, who pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.
Oswalt gave up one run on the day in the third inning. He issued a one-out walk to Anthony Gose, who stole second and moved to third on a balk. Gose then scored on a single by Adeiny Hechavarria.
But Oswalt was in line for the win when Nelson Cruz belted a two-run home run over the left-field fence in the top of the fifth.
Oswalt gave up a leadoff single to Gose to start the bottom of the fifth, but retired the next two batters on a sacrifice bunt and popped up bunt. But Washington opted to go with Robbie Ross against Rasmus for a lefty-lefty matchup rather than Oswalt.
Ross retired Rasmus, and then worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth. The Blue Jays loaded the bases again in the seventh with one out, but Kirkman got the final two outs.
Mike Adams had a 1-2-3 eighth, and Joe Nathan converted his 24th save to close out the game.
The Rangers won for the second time in their past six games, and will maintain at least a five-game lead in the American League West over Oakland, which plays Cleveland tonight.
-- Drew Davison
Now corrected from Ross to Kirkman, though timestamp is still the same. Neat trick.
Posted by: CharlesHolbert | August 18, 2012 at 04:34 PM