Sosa continues march towards 600 as Rangers top Blue Jays

Apr 28, 2007, 2:25 GMT

Toronto, ON - Mark Teixeira went 2-for-4 and hit his first home run of the season as Texas downed Toronto, 5-3, in the opener of a four- game series at Rogers Centre.

Brad Wilkerson finished 2-for-4 with a two-run homer for the Rangers, who ended a three-game slide.

Sammy Sosa belted his seventh home run of the season for Texas and is now five homers away from becoming just the fifth player in league history to reach 600 for his career. Sosa also doubled in the victory.

Texas starter Robinson Tejeda (3-1) pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up three runs on five hits while striking out a season-high seven and walking one.

Josh Towers (1-3) started for Toronto and lasted just 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on five hits, including three homers. He also struck out seven while not walking a batter.

Lyle Overbay and Adam Lind each hit home runs for the Blue Jays, who were looking to win their fourth straight.

After two scoreless innings, the Rangers got on the board first and scored five runs in the third highlighted by the long ball.

Wilkerson started things by smacking a two-run homer over the center-field wall. Later in the frame, Michael Young doubled with two outs and Teixeira launched a two-run shot to left for his first homer of the year. Sosa followed with a solo shot to make it 5-0.

Overbay's solo homer in the fifth got Toronto on the board and a two-run shot from Lind in the sixth made it 5-3.

The Blue Jays never threatened the rest of the way as Joaquin Benoit pitched a scoreless eighth and Akinori Otsuka closed things out in the ninth for his third save after striking out all three batters he faced.

Game Notes

Texas outhit Toronto 9-5...Otsuka has not allowed a run in nine appearances this season...Towers dropped to 0-4 in six career starts against the Rangers.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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