Rangers start fast, get back to .500 with win over Blue Jays

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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.

Nomar Mazara homered for the second straight game, getting his 10th leading off the fifth. It was his fourth straight homer on the first pitch.

Francisco Liriano (3-3) gave up four straight two-out hits in the first, which ended when Napoli was thrown out at second trying to stretch his RBI single. The left-hander allowed seven hits and five runs in 4 2/3 innings.

With Toronto trailing 5-0 in the seventh, Steve Pearce barely missed a grand slam with a drive just outside the left field foul pole after Martinez walked his final batter and Jose Leclerc walked his first two.

Ryan Goins ended the shutout with an RBI single before Leclerc struck out Kevin Pillar as the potential tying run.

Keone Kela pitched a scoreless ninth a night after closer Matt Bush gave up two ninth-inning runs in the Blue Jays' 7-6 win.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: RHP Leonel Campos left the game with a right groin strain in the sixth. The reliever retired both hitters he faced a day after getting called up from Triple-A Buffalo when Joe Smith went on the DL with a sore right shoulder.

Rangers: INF Hanser Alberto had rotator cuff surgery Monday. He's expected to miss the rest of the season.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP Joe Biagini (1-6, 4.26) has a five-game losing streak, including his past four starts. It will be Biagini's ninth start after spending the first month in the bullpen.

Rangers: RHP Tyson Ross (1-0, 3.18) makes his second start since returning from offseason surgery to relieve thoracic outlet syndrome. He gave up two runs with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings in a 10-4 victory over Seattle in his Texas debut.