Rangers' walk-off loss softened by showings from García, Heim

TORONTO -- Friday night’s contest between the Rangers and the Blue Jays began at a furious pace: A few runs from both sides, an odd defensive mistake here, an even wilder homer there.

But Texas' 6-5 loss to Toronto boiled down to one final pitch.

Kirby Yates stood on the hill in a tied ninth inning, his entrance into the game a testament to the trust bestowed on him by Rangers manager Bruce Bochy. With two men on, Yates punched out Danny Jansen for the second out of the inning before the club issued an intentional walk to Spencer Horwitz.

Before any more drama could unfold, the next batter, Ernie Clement, jumped on a center-cut splitter, ripping a first-pitch single into left field to plate the winning run. The Rogers Centre fog horn sounded, and Blue Jays players stormed the field to celebrate the walk-off victory.

One misplaced splitter, and Texas’ five-game win streak was no more.

“Kirby’s done a great job,” Bochy said of his closer, whose 1.22 ERA entering Friday ranked fourth among qualified MLB relievers. “That's always a tough spot when you come in first and second [with] one out. But a hard-fought game. We did a lot of good things.”

Bochy was right. While the Rangers fell short in the end, there was plenty to glean from this contest, starting with a spark from Adolis García. Before the bullpen lost its grip, the 31-year-old García gave the Rangers a one-run lead by homering in very bizarre fashion in the fifth inning. García struck a sinking fly ball toward the right-field corner that bounded off the base of the foul pole and back into play.

Blue Jays outfielders froze up, caught in a daze. The Rangers' dugout had even less of a clue, their view obstructed by the tall walls in foul territory. Was it fair? Foul? Gone? First-base umpire Mark Ripperger knew what was up, though, as he spun his finger emphatically to give the signal -- it was indeed a home run. At a Statcast-projected 328 feet, García’s two-run blast was the shortest home run hit at Rogers Centre since Statcast tracking began in 2015.

“He's strong,” Bochy said of García, who went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. “He probably didn't hit it all that well, but that's just how strong he is.”

García’s epic evening carried to his defense in right field, where he made a fine sliding grab in the eighth inning, popping back to his feet and firing a throw to double off Justin Turner at second base. With the big hits and clutch snag, García now has a foothold for some momentum -- a small boost to get his .678 OPS closer to the .836 OPS he posted a season ago.

“He’s very capable of carrying this team for a long time,” Yates said of García. “I think everybody in this clubhouse believes in him, and we're all behind him. We're all excited to watch him get going.”

Jonah Heim was the other Rangers hitter worth circling on the scorebook. After striking out with the bases loaded in the first, Heim smashed a two-out, two-run single in the third.

While the Rangers lost, the timing of Friday’s offensive surge showed how powerful the defending World Series champs can be when everything clicks, especially with Heim and García combining for four hits and five RBIs, marking a step in the right direction.

Each game carries a degree of urgency now. Caught in between standing pat or softly buying, Texas (51-53) can finalize its position ahead of Tuesday’s 5 p.m. CT Trade Deadline with a series win against the Blue Jays. The AL West race has already begun, with the Mariners trading for reliever Yimi García and outfielder Randy Arozarena, putting a heavier squeeze on the Rangers to win immediately.

Texas has a ton of talent on the injured list, though, and some of those players are close to a return. Third baseman Josh Jung (wrist) began a rehab assignment in Double-A Frisco on Friday, while Tyler Mahle (elbow) polished off four innings of a rehab stint on Thursday with the RoughRiders. Right-hander Jacob deGrom (elbow) is also expected to make a few rehab appearances post-Deadline.

In the meantime, the Rangers will need their current hitters, especially García and Heim, at their best if they want to leapfrog the Mariners and Astros for the top spot in a feisty AL West grouping. Just don’t ask this Rangers core about the chances of outside trade help or a lucky break to get them going. The players accept the onus is on them, and they plan to show up Saturday with that mentality.

“We create our own luck,” said starter Andrew Heaney.