The Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers only mustered five hits each in a classic pitcher’s duel that ended with the Rangers ending up on top with a final score of 2-0.
Bowden Francis (8-4, 3.50) took the ball for the Blue Jays as Cody Bradford (5-3, 3.98) did for the Rangers.
Francis had a solid outing, tossing 6 innings, allowing two runs over five hits, walking one and punching out six as he was handed his sixth loss of the year.
Bradford had an even better night, bouncing back from his last start in which he allowed eight earned runs against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The southpaw threw 7 shutout innings, giving up five hits, walking none and striking out six to earn his sixth victory of the year.
The only two runs of the game were scored by the Rangers in the bottom of the 6th inning when Adolis Garcia hit a two-run shot to break the scoreless tie and give Texas a 2-0 lead.
That 2-0 lead would hold as the Blue Jays would go on to lose game two and ultimately the series against the boys from the Lone Star state.
The Blue Jays will look to bounce back and avoid a sweep with a win against the Rangers on Thursday afternoon.
Kevin Gausman (12-11, 4.02) will toe the rubber for the Blue Jays while 24-year-old rookie Kumar Rocker (0-0, 2.25) will make his second career big league start for the Rangers.
