ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Kenny Rogers got plenty of cheers from Texas Rangers fans in his first home start since shoving two TV cameramen, and a lot of help from a blown call in a 12-10 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night.

Mark Teixeira hit two of Texas’ five home runs, all of them coming with two outs, and drove in six runs. The All-Star had an RBI single to go with his homers that pushed his AL-leading total to 24.

Rogers (10-4) overcame a shaky first inning, working through the seventh in his first home appearance since the June 29 incident in which he shoved the cameramen on the field. The 40-year-old left-hander was suspended for 20 games by commissioner Bud Selig and fined $50,000, but can still pitch while the penalty is being appealed.

When Rogers’ name was called during pregame introductions, and again right before his first pitch, loud cheers mostly drowned out an audible chorus of boos. The boos were more prevalent after Shea Hillenbrand’s two-run homer gave the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead in the first.

But Rogers, who hasn’t said if he will go to the All-Star game in Detroit next week, didn’t give up another run and the Rangers turned a gift homer into a seven-run outburst to lead for good.

Scott Downs (0-1) retired the first eight Texas hitters until Mark DeRosa’s two-out single in the third. Gary Matthews Jr. then hit a ball down the left-field line near the foul pole, and even he had stopped running before umpire crew chief Joe West the ball was fair.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons came out to argue and Downs was visibly upset as he stood near the mound. West, who was umpiring third base, eventually called his crew together before confirming his original call after a lengthy discussion. Replays from multiple angles showed the ball was foul.

Downs didn’t get another out. Michael Young doubled before Teixeira had a run-scoring single and Blalock walked. Alfonso Soriano and Kevin Mench then greeted reliever Justin Miller with consecutive homers to make it 7-2.

Teixeira, who finished 4-for-5, hit a two-run homer in the fourth, and two innings later added a three-run shot off Brandon League. It was Teixeira’s fifth multihomer game this season, the ninth in his career.

Francisco Cordero, the third Texas reliever in Toronto’s seven-run ninth, got the final three outs for his 20th save in 24 chances. The right-hander took over with the bases loaded and none out giving up a two-run single to Vernon Wells. Frank Catalanotto hit a three-run homer and Alex Rios hit a ball off the wall that drove in one run in the inning.

Miller and League both joined the Blue Jays from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday after ace Roy Halladay (12-4), who would have been the All-Star starter, was put on the 15-day disabled list with a broken bone in his left leg. Halladay got hit by a line drive in the third inning of Friday night’s game.

Rogers scattered eight hits, and had three strikeouts with no walks over his seven innings.

It was his first start at home since June 17, when he beat Washington for his career-best ninth straight victory but broke a small bone in his non-pitching hand when he punched a cooler in frustration after leaving in the eighth inning with a 4-1 lead.

After giving up six runs in 3 1-3 innings at Los Angeles his next start, he missed his turn at home against the Angels. That was the same week of his videotaped tirade with the cameramen.

Notes: The teams each had 15 hits. … The Rangers lead the majors with 145 home runs, their most ever before the All-Star break. They had back-to-back homers for the fifth time this season. … Toronto had won its last three series, taking two-of-three against Tampa Bay, Boston and Oakland.

AP-ES-07-09-05 2242EDT


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