POWERFUL START
Home runs by Chirinos, Odor at bottom of batting order make difference in series-opening victory after Beltre’s early departure with back injury.
A big day by the bottom of Texas’ batting order helped the Rangers overcome an injury to slugger Adrian Beltre in the start of their postseason run.
Robinson Chirinos hit a tworun homer against David Price, Rougned Odor added a solo homer and the Rangers beat the Blue Jays 5-3 Thursday in their AL Division Series opener as postseason baseball returned to Toronto for the first time in 22 years.
“It means a lot to the team to come to Toronto and win that first game against a great pitch- er,” Chirinos said.
Both starting third basemen left with injuries: Beltre’s came in the third with a strained muscle in his lower back, and Toronto’s Josh Donaldson in the fifth after he was kneed in the head while sliding in an attempt to break up a double play.
Rangers manager Jeff Banister said he wasn’t sure whether Beltre would be available for Game 2 Friday. “Obviously we want Adrian in
there,” Banister said. “He’s the heart and soul of this ballclub.”
After going for tests at a hospital, Beltre returned to the clubhouse about an hour after
the game and walked gingerly. An MRI confirmed Beltre had a strained back but no structural damage, General Manager Jon Daniels said.
“We haven’t ruled him out of (Friday’s) game,” Daniels said.
Texas will have Joey Gallo and Ed Lucas travel from their Arizona Fall League team in case Beltre needs to be removed from the roster, a decision that also would rule Beltre out of the AL Championship Series.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Donaldson felt light-headed in the top of the fifth.
“They check for concussions, and apparently he passed all the tests. So that’s good news,” Gibbons said.
Yovani Gallardo (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings.
“That’s what we really needed from him,” Banister said. “I think he did a great job.”
Gallardo is 4-0 with a 1.78 ERA in four career starts against Toronto.
“We got in some good hitter’s counts, and he wouldn’t give in,” Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin said. “He didn’t make those mistakes that we capitalize on.”
Keone Kela, Jake Diekman and Sam Dyson finished, with Dyson getting a save.
Price (0-1) allowed five runs and five hits in seven innings. He dropped to 1-6 with a 4.79 ERA in 11 postseason games and 0-6 in six playoff starts.
Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista hit a solo homer in the sixth, then left with a sore right hamstring. He’s expected to play Friday.
Delino DeShields and Beltre hit RBI singles to give Texas a 2-0 lead in the third. Beltre, injured when sliding into second base as Prince Fielder hit into an inning-ending double play in the first, had difficulty running and was replaced by rookie Hanser Alberto in the bottom of third.
Edwin Encarnacion’s run-scoring infield single cut the deficit in half in the fourth — the first run Toronto scored off Gallardo in three meetings this season.
Price hit Odor with a pitch for the second straight at-bat, and Chirinos homered for a 4-1 lead.