TORONTO -- J.P. Arencibia hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning and Brett Cecil pitched seven effective innings as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Texas Rangers 3-2 on Friday.
Cecil (4-4) allowed seven hits, including a home run by Nelson Cruz, one walk and one run while striking out six in seven innings to lower his earned-run average to 4.34.
Jon Rauch picked up his ninth save of the season despite giving up a home run to Mike Napoli to lead off the ninth. Mitch Moreland followed it with a single.
But Rauch struck out pinch-hitter Chris Davis. David Murphy forced Moreland into an out at second base when first baseman Adam Lind made a nice play on his bouncer. Ian Kinsler fouled out to end the game.
Cecil pitched his first career shutout with a 3-0 win against the Rangers (60-47) last Sunday after introducing a full over-the-head windup to help establish rhythm in his delivery. He came back with a successful start using the same windup while featuring an effective change-up.
Texas' Alexi Ogando took the loss last Sunday and again Friday. Ogando (10-5) pitched 5 2-3 innings on Friday and allowed four hits, four walks and three runs, all on Arencibia's 17th homer of the season. It was Arencibia's fifth homer in his past six games.
This time, Cecil lost the shutout in the second inning. Cruz, who drove in eight runs in the Rangers' 12-2 win over the Blue Jays (54-52) last Friday, led off the second with his 23rd homer of the season. Cruz came out of the game in the fifth with tightness in his left quadriceps. Endy Chavez replaced him in the outfield.
Cecil pitched out of a jam with runners at first and third in the fourth inning after Michael Young's leadoff double and Napoli's one-out single. But Moreland fouled out and Yorvit Torrealba struck out.
Ogando caused himself some stress in the fourth, giving up a leadoff walk to Colby Rasmus, who reached base for the first time as a Blue Jay after arriving in a trade with St. Louis, and a two-out walk to Edwin Encarnacion who doubled in the second.
Encarnacion's double was the only Blue Jays hit until the fifth when Aaron Hill led off with an infield hit and Travis Snider singled to left. Arencibia, who hit three homers in last week's series in Texas, put an 0-1 pitch into the left-field bullpen to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.
The Rangers started the sixth with singles by Josh Hamilton and Young. But Cecil fielded a bunt by Chavez and got the force out at third. On the next pitch Napoli popped out. Moreland grounded out to end the threat.
Ogando left with two out in the sixth after giving up his second walk of the inning.
Former Rangers reliever Frank Francisco, the subject of rumours about a possible trade back to Texas, replaced Cecil and pitched one inning, allowing Young's double.
.Notes: Attendance at Rogers Centre was 19,287. ...Left-hander Brad Mills makes his first major-league start of the season on Saturday against Texas left-hander Derek Holland (9-4, 4.43 ERA). ....Right-hander Jesse Litsch joined the Blue Jays on Friday after being called up after Thursday's game with right-hander P.J. Walters, obtained from St. Louis in Wednesday's trade, sent on option to triple-A Las Vegas. ...Former Blue Jays second baseman Roberto Alomar, who was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame last Sunday, will have his jersey No. 12 retired by the club on Sunday in a ceremony at Rogers Centre.
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