Thu Apr 17 00:23:23 2008

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Rangers edge Jays in 14 innings

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Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Frank Catalanotto went 3-for-7, homered and scored three runs, including the go-ahead run in the 14th inning, as the Texas Rangers edged the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-5, in a marathon game at Rogers Centre.

Josh Hamilton went 4-for-7 with a pair of doubles and two runs batted in for the Rangers, who snapped a five-game losing streak. Milton Bradley went 2- for-3, scored a run and tied a single-game major league record by drawing five walks. Jason Botts went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.

Dustin Nippert (1-1) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief, while C.J. Wilson picked up his fourth save. Kason Gabbard started and allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings

Alex Rios went 3-for-7 with an RBI for the Blue Jays, who lost for just the second time in six games. Lyle Overbay and Marco Scutaro each had a pair of hits in the loss.

A.J. Burnett (1-1) took the loss, allowing two runs in the 14th inning after Toronto ran out of available relievers. Jesse Litsch started and was tagged for four runs on nine hits in five-plus innings

With the Jays out of relievers, Burnett came out of the bullpen for the top of the 14th. A single from Gerald Laird and Catalanotto's second double of the game put runners at second and third with one out, before Laird was tagged out at home trying to score on Michael Young's ground ball.

Catalanotto moved to third on the play, and came in to score when Burnett's breaking ball bounced through Gregg Zaun's legs. Hamilton then smacked a double to left to score Young and give the Rangers a 7-5 lead.

Wilson set the Blue Jays down in order in the bottom of the inning to finally lock up the win.

Hamilton put the Rangers on top in the third, driving in Catalanotto with a single to center. Vernon Wells tied the game with an RBI single of his own in the bottom of the inning.

Botts put the Rangers back in the lead in the top of the fourth, leading off the inning by hammering a Litsch slider over the wall in right, but Rios tied the game with an RBI double in the fifth.

Botts gave the Rangers the lead once more in the sixth, smashing a two-run double.

Catalanotto tacked on an insurance run with a solo homer to right off Jeremy Accardo in the eighth.

Trailing 5-2, Toronto loaded the bases with one out off Joaquin Benoit in the home eighth with a walk to Frank Thomas, a single by Matt Stairs and a walk to Overbay before Benoit walked Scutaro to plate Thomas.

Wes Littleton came on in relief and got pinch-hitter Joe Inglett to hit a soft chopper to first, but Ben Broussard's throw to second was wide of Young allowing Stairs and Overbay to score and tie the game.

Neither team pushed across a run in the ninth, sending the game to extra frames.

Each bullpen was forced to work its way out of trouble in extra innings, as Jesse Carlson escaped a bases loaded, no out jam in the top of the 11th with three straight strikeouts, while Franklyn German put two Blue Jays on in both the 11th and 12th, but escaped unscathed.

Carlson escaped another bases loaded situation in the top of the 13th, retiring David Murphy on a grounder to keep the Rangers from scoring, but the Jays failed to push the deciding run across in the bottom of the frame.

Game Notes

Toronto swept a three-game set between the teams last weekend in Texas...The teams combined to use 16 pitchers; nine for Toronto and seven for Texas...The Rangers left 19 men on base, while the Blue Jays stranded 14 runners...Young was 2-for-8 at the plate...Roy Halladay (2-1) takes the mound for the Blue Jays against Vicente Padilla (1-1) in the finale of the two-game series on Thursday.