Blue Jays hand Rangers a loss in series opener
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

GET UP FROM THERE! - Texas Rangers shortstop Michael Young (left) rolls to the ground after trying to catch the ball thrown by catcher Gerald Laird as Toronto Blue Jays base runner Vernon Wells (10) slides safely into second. Wells and the Jays beat Texas, 8-5, in the series opener between the teams on Friday night. They were to play again on Saturday night at 7 p.m., and today at 2.

ARLINGTON (AP) - This time, the Toronto Blue Jays got a little help from their hitters.

Lyle Overbay hit a three-run double, Vernon Wells drove in two runs and the Blue Jays ended a three-game losing streak with an 8-5 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.

Four of Toronto's five defeats had been by one run, and the Blue Jays made things a little easier on their pitching and defense on Friday night with a 13- hit attack that included four stolen bases.

"The last three games, we haven't been as aggressive as we had been the first week," Wells said. "Once we got on base, we wanted to make things happen. We're not going to hit home runs all the time. Sometimes you have to manufacture runs."

Jesse Litsch (2-0) allowed two runs and six hits over 5 2-3 innings for the win. Toronto was swept at home by Oakland in a three-game series before opening a five-game road trip.

Scott Downs got two outs for his first save of the season.

Josh Hamilton homered and had a career-high four RBIs for the Rangers.

The Rangers (5-5 this season) were to face the Blue Jays again Saturday night, then host them at 2 p.m. today to conclude the series.

Texas starter Vicente Padilla (1-1) was perfect over the first three innings, but Toronto broke through for four runs in the fourth with four hits, a walk and some shaky Rangers defense. "(Padilla) was tough those first couple of innings," Overbay said. "Then the was a walk and he missed some spots. It was a matter of taking advantage of it."

The Rangers, trying to go two games over .500 for the first time since they were 78-76 on Sept. 22, 2006, fell back to the break-even mark. They made three errors - including two wild throws to second on steal attempts by catcher Gerald Laird - and several mental mistakes.

"There were physical errors, we didn't cover first base on one play. We had a night where we threw the ball around," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

Hank Blalock's first homer of the season, a solo drive in the second, put the Rangers in front.

Wells, who went 3-for-5, drew the Blue Jays even at 1 in the fourth with an RBI double off the glove of left fielder Frank Catalanotto. Toronto went on to load the bases, and Overbay cleared them with his double on a sharp grounder just inside the first-base line.

"If Cat makes the play, it's an outstanding play and maybe they only score one, but he didn't make it," Washington said.

Litsch worked out of a basesloaded, two-out jam in the fourth when he retired Ben Broussard on a groundout.

Hamilton's sacrifice fly in the fifth pulled Texas within 4-2. Gregg Zaun scored on double steal in the Toronto sixth.