Music: {allcanada} Lawrie's solo HR lifts Jays past Rangers

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

{allcanada} Lawrie's solo HR lifts Jays past Rangers

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The Toronto Blue Jays didn't make life easy for themselves on Tuesday.

Having rallied from an early five-run deficit to the defending American League champions Texas Rangers, Toronto led 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth with two out, none on and interim closer Francisco Cordero on the mound.

Three straight singles later however, the game was tied, Cordero had blown his second save and the stage had been set for more dramatics. This time it was a Brett Lawrie walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth to give Toronto a 8-7 win before 18,744 at Rogers Centre.

After striking out the first four Texas Rangers batters he faced on Tuesday, Toronto starter Drew Hutchison looked unhittable.

However, the 21-year-old Toronto Blue Jays rookie surrendered five runs on five hits and walk in the second inning, and the game appeared to be slipping away.

Hutchison then changed gears and from the second inning on, he gathered himself enough to pitch into the sixth inning, long enough for the Blue Jays (13-11) offence to awaken.

Trailing 6-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Jays erupted for three runs off Rangers reliever Robbie Ross. Eric Thames led off and reached on an error, Brett Lawrie singled to left and Colby Rasmus loaded the bases with none out for Jeff Mathis after dropping down a bunt single.

Mathis, who got the start Tuesday night in place of J.P. Arencibia with a day game to follow on Wednesday, grounded out to short, scoring Thames. Yunel Escobar followed with another fielder's choice, this one cashing in Rasmus before Kelly Johnson knocked in Mathis from second with the go-ahead run on a RBI single to centre.

Carlos Villanueva pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief for Toronto before Darren Oliver came on to retire fellow lefty Mitch Moreland with two outs in the eighth.

For Hutchison, Tuesday's effort was by no means the prettiest of his three career major-league starts, but in some ways it was his most impressive.

Striking out the likes of Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Michael Young and Nelson Cruz to open the game certainly turned some heads. And while Hutchison would like to forget the five-run second, he'll likely savour the memory of holding one of the game's top offences in check over the ensuing four innings, keeping his team in the game long enough to give his offence a chance to come back and win the game.

As for the Rangers, starter Neftali Feliz battled control issues for the most of the evening and left after five innings having given up four runs on four hits and six walks.

Note: The two teams close their three-game series Wednesday with a 12:37 p.m. ET start.