ARLINGTON, Texas — Nelson Cruz broke a postseason slump with a home run, and the Texas Rangers beat Detroit’s Justin Verlander 3-2 Saturday night as rain followed the Tigers ace and caused nearly two hours of delays in the AL championship series opener.
The defending AL champion Rangers scored all their runs off Verlander before the game was interrupted twice for a total of 1 hour, 50 minutes in the top of the fifth.
David Murphy hit an RBI single in the second and scored on Ian Kinsler‘s single, and Cruz’s leadoff homer in the fourth made it 3-0.
In between the delays, Austin Jackson doubled in a run and scored on a wild pitch by Rangers starter C.J. Wilson. Alexi Ogando, the only Texas pitcher to beat the Tigers during the regular season, pitched two scoreless innings for the win.
Game 2 is Sunday night. Derek Holland pitches for Texas against Max Scherzer.