Rangers build 6-run lead, hang on to edge Blue Jays

Wyatt Langford hit a three-run homer, MacKenzie Gore pitched seven effective innings and the visiting Texas Rangers held on Thursday night to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5.

Gore (5-6) allowed three runs, four hits and one walk with five strikeouts. He retired his final eight batters.

Jacob Latz picked up his 15th save despite allowing two runs in the ninth.

Jake Burger added a two-run blast and Joc Pederson also homered for the Rangers in the opener of a four-game series. Pederson also had a single and two walks. Texas is 2-2 to open a 10-game road trip.

Kazuma Okamoto had two hits, including a two-run homer in the ninth, for the Blue Jays, who have lost three straight.

Leading off the game, Pederson homered down the right field line on a 2-2 fastball from Kevin Gausman (4-6) to cap an 11-pitch at-bat.

Nicky Lopez and Pederson singled with one out in the Rangers' five-run third before Langford homered to left-center on an 0-1 slider. Corey Seager, reinstated from the injured list Thursday, drew a one-out walk before Burger homered to left on a 1-0 splitter to make it 6-0.

Toronto loaded the bases with no outs in a three-run fifth against Gore with singles by Okamoto and Alejandro Kirk and a walk by Nathan Lukes. Davis Schneider hit a sacrifice fly to center, then Myles Straw followed with a two-run double to left that trimmed the Blue Jays' deficit to 6-3.

Gausman completed six innings, allowing six runs, 10 hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Simeon Woods Richardson took over for Toronto in the seventh and worked around four walks over three innings with the help of two double plays.

The top of the eighth ended when Kyle Higashioka was doubled off first after Schneider made a diving catch on Lopez's bloop to left.

Jakob Junis replaced Gore and pitched a perfect eighth.

Ernie Clement led off the bottom of the ninth with his second single. Okamoto slammed his 18th home run of the season to center on a 1-1 fastball from Latz with one out. Latz retired the final two batters on a grounder and his second strikeout of the inning.

--Field Level Media