Moreland, Rios help Rangers beat Blue Jays 6-2

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Mitch Moreland hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning, Alex Rios had a two-run triple and the Texas Rangers avoided a three-game sweep with a 6-2 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

Making his second straight start at first base with Prince Fielder sidelined by a neck strain, Moreland hit a line drive just over the wall in right field off R.A. Dickey (4-4) to break a 2-all tie.

The Rangers had gone 23 innings without an extra-base hit when Rios drove one off the right-center wall in the fourth.

Juan Francisco and Edwin Encarnacion homered for the Blue Jays, who had won a franchise-record six straight in Texas, including a four-game sweep in their only visit last year.

The Rangers, who snapped a four-game losing streak, were in position to add to the lead Moreland gave them in the seventh when Toronto manager John Gibbons got the Blue Jays out of the jam with a challenge after three previous visits with umpires ended without a video review.

Michael Choice lined out to Francisco, who tagged third base with his glove as Robinson Chirinos was diving back to the bag. Dale Scott called Chirinos safe, but a review lasting nearly 3 minutes overturned it and gave Toronto an inning-ending double play.

Gibbons' move ended up not mattering much when Shin-Soo Choo and Adrian Beltre had run-scoring hits in the eighth. Those two scored on Rios' triple to give Texas a 2-1 lead.

Moreland, who also had a double, hit his second homer of the season after Rios just beat Francisco's throw for an error on one of the plays Gibbons considered challenging. Toronto had a season-high four errors.

Texas rookie right-hander Nick Martinez left with a 2-1 lead after five innings but lost the chance for his first big league win on Encarnacion's ninth homer, a shot to left field off Aaron Poreda in the sixth.

Poreda (2-0) ended up getting the win after a scoreless seventh, and closer Joakim Soria pitched a shaky but scoreless ninth in a non-save situation on his 30th birthday.

Francisco's home run into the upper deck in right field was among four hits allowed by Martinez in a solid outing that should give him a chance to stay in the rotation with four Texas starters on the disabled list.

Dickey allowed three hits and four runs in falling to 12-12 against the team that drafted him and gave him his first shot in the majors 13 years ago.

NOTES: Texas manager Ron Washington said Fielder could return Tuesday against Seattle. ... The Blue Jays have their first day off since April 28 on Monday. ... Rangers 2B Rougned Odor was a late scratch with a sore right wrist. He was replaced in the No. 9 spot by Luis Sardinas. ... Sunday marked the first of nine day games in a stretch of 14 for the Rangers. That hasn't happened since 1984. ... Julio Franco, who spent five of his 23 seasons in Texas and was 49 when he played his final game in 2007, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.