Jordan Montgomery struck out six in seven shutout innings to spark the Texas Rangers over Tampa Bay 4-0 on Tuesday in the opening game of their Major League Baseball playoff series.
The 30-year-old left-hander scattered six hits without a walk in baffling Rays batters as the Rangers grabbed a 1-0 lead in the American League best-of-three first round series, which continues on Wednesday.
Other series openers later Tuesday find Toronto at Minnesota in the AL plus Arizona at Milwaukee and Miami at Philadelphia in the National League.
Defending champion Houston, Atlanta, Baltimore and the Los Angeles Dodgers received first-round byes.
Tampa Bay made three fielding errors in the first three innings and fell behind early.
Texas opened the scoring in the second inning when Nathaniel Lowe singled up the middle, took third on a Leody Taveras single to right and scored on Josh Jung’s sacrifice fly.
The Rangers doubled their lead in the fourth when Corey Seager doubled, took third on an Adolis Garcia single and scored on a wild pitch by Tampa Bay pitcher Tyler Glasnow.
Texas made it 4-0 in the sixth when Evan Carter and Marcus Semien walked and Seager drove in both with a single up the middle and throwing error by Rays centerfielder Jose Siri.
It was the first shutout playoff victory since 2011 for the Rangers, who missed out on a first-round bye and division title with a loss on the final day of the regular season.
