Jonah Heim leads Rangers past Blue Jays 12-6 after Toronto blows 6-1 lead

Brad Miller and Nick Solak also homered for Texas (1-2), which rode a six-run fourth inning past the Blue Jays. Solak was 2-for-2 and scored four runs.

Starter Spencer Howard struck out five, but gave up six runs in just three innings. Brock Burke, Dennis Santana, John King, Josh Sborz and Joe Barlow shut down Toronto’s potent offence the rest of the way.

After playing in centre field for the first two games of the season, Springer was moved to designated hitter. Still hitting leadoff, he sent a ball into the Blue Jays’ bullpen in his first at-bat of the game.

Five batters later, Chapman’s home run to deep left field scored Teoscar Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., to give Toronto an early 4-0 lead.

Chapman was acquired by Toronto in a March 16 trade with the Athletics.

The Blue Jays sent shortstop Kevin Smith, right-handed pitcher Gunnar Hoglund, left-handed starter Zach Logue and left-handed reliever Kirby Snead to Oakland for the all-star third baseman.

Solak replied for Texas in the second inning with a solo shot to right field just over the Rangers’ bullpen to make it 4-1.

Jansen restored the Blue Jays’ four-run lead in the bottom of the inning, getting the ball just over the fence in left field with an exit velocity of 168.98 km/h. It was Jansen’s second home run in as many games.

Guerrero piled on in the third with a solo shot to the second deck of Rogers Centre. The blast was a career-long 467 feet for the Blue Jays first baseman, who led Major League Baseball with 48 home runs last season.

Ryu struggled in the fourth, frittering away his 6-1 lead as Toronto gave up six runs in the inning.

Andy Ibáñez began the Texas rally in the fourth with a double to centre field that cashed in Mitch Garver.

Charlie Culberson added another run two at-bats later, with his single bringing Ibáñez home. In the next at-bat, Heim’s comeback single bounced off Ryu’s leg and scored Solak.

Ryu was pulled after giving up the three runs, but waved off trainers as he walked to Toronto’s dugout. Merryweather inherited two runners on base and gave up a two-run double to Miller to tie the game.

The Rangers made it through their entire order, with Corey Seager’s single scoring Miller for a 7-6 lead.

Texas tacked on two more runs in the fifth, with Nathaniel Lowe’s single scoring Adolis Garcia and Miller’s sacrifice fly bringing in Solak.

Heim’s two-run homer in the seventh also scored Solak. Before those runs were even up on the scoreboard, Miller cranked his solo shot to make it 12-6.

Notes: Outfielder Bradley Zimmer reported to the Blue Jays on Sunday morning. He was traded to Toronto by the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday for right-handed pitcher Anthony Castro. Infielder Gosuke Katoh was optioned to triple-A Buffalo to make space for Zimmer on Toronto’s roster.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2022.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Jonah Heim leads Rangers past Blue Jays 12-6 after Toronto blows 6-1 lead

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