Music: {allcanada} HUTCHISON STARTS AS BLUE JAYS CONTINUE SERIES WITH RANGERS

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

{allcanada} HUTCHISON STARTS AS BLUE JAYS CONTINUE SERIES WITH RANGERS

(Sports Network) - Rookie Drew Hutchison takes the mound tonight when the Toronto Blue Jays continue their series with the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre tonight.

Hutchison is 1-0 with a 6.10 ERA in two starts but was much better his last time out in Baltimore on Thursday than he was in his debut, as he held the O's to two runs and six hits in five innings.

Hutchison had won his first start, but in doing so, gave up five runs and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.

In Monday's series opener, Kyle Drabek (2-2) was the tough-luck loser, surrendering two runs on five hits and two walks while fanning eight. Edwin Encarnacion homered in the losing effort, Toronto's fifth in its last seven.

The Rangers got another strong start from Yu Darvish as the Japanese superstar struck out nine over seven strong innings to remain undefeated, helping Texas to a 4-1 victory.

Darvish (4-0) allowed one run on four hits and two walks, and Mitch Moreland and Craig Gentry hit back-to-back solo home runs for Texas, which has alternated wins and losses in its last five outings.

Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

Neftali Feliz makes his first start in more than a week this evening when the Texas Rangers continue a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Feliz hasn't started since losing to Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers back on April 21. He gave up three runs and three hits with four walks in eight innings of that one. Feliz pitched one inning of relief since then and is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

He has pitched to a 1.69 ERA in five appearances against the Blue Jays, but this will be his first-ever start against them.

The Blue Jays were 6-4 versus the Rangers last season.