Adolis Garcia belted a two-run homer and Cody Bradford tossed seven shutout innings to fuel the Texas Rangers to a 2-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.
Garcia made a leaping catch at the right-center-field wall to deny a potential extra-base hit from Addison Barger in the third inning. Garcia then provided a difference at the plate in the sixth.
Rookie Wyatt Langford singled to lead off the sixth inning before Garcia deposited a first-pitch sinker from Bowden Francis (8-5) over the wall in left field for the game’s only scoring. The homer was Garcia’s 23rd of the season and first since Sept. 5.
Bradford benefited from that blast to rebound after getting shellacked in his last outing. He yielded a career-high eight runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings of a 14-4 rout by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sept. 11.
On Wednesday, Bradford (6-3) scattered five hits and struck out six without walking a batter.
He retired the first 12 batters he faced before Alejandro Kirk singled to lead off the fifth inning. Kirk advanced to third on Spencer Horwitz’s double, but Bradford rebounded by retiring the next three batters to end the threat.
Texas’ David Robertson retired the side in order in the eighth inning before Kirby Yates did the same in the ninth to secure his 31st save of the season.
The Rangers (73-79) followed up their 13-run, 13-hit outburst in the series opener on Tuesday to record their second straight victory. Garcia, who had two hits and three RBIs in the prior game, mustered one of his team’s five hits on Wednesday.
The Blue Jays (72-80) had just five hits on Wednesday after totaling 13 in the series opener.
Francis saw his winless streak extend to three starts despite permitting only two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and one walk in six innings.
