BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Jhonattan Vegas birdied six of the final eight holes for an 8-under 63 and a one-stroke lead over Matt Kuchar on Saturday in the 3M Open.
Vegas had a 16-under 197 total at the TPC Twin Cities. The 39-year-old Venezuelan has three PGA Tour victories, the last a successful title defense in the 2017 Canadian Open.
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BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Jhonattan Vegas birdied six of the final eight holes for an 8-under 63 and a one-stroke lead over Matt Kuchar on Saturday in the 3M Open.
Maverick McNealy hits on the fairway on the first hole during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Matt NeSmith hits out of a fairway bunker on the second hole during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Jhonattan Vegas reacts after missing a putt on the first green during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Patrick Fishburn watches his tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Maverick McNealy watches his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Matt Kuchar reacts after making his putt on the first green during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Jhonattan Vegas watches his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
The 46-year-old Kuchar also shot 63, chipping in for eagle from 30 yards on the par-5 18th. He won the last of his nine PGA Tour titles at the 2019 Sony Open.
Maverick McNealy, with another 63, was two strokes behind. Patrick Fishburn, with yet another 63, was four back at 12 under with Sahith Theegala (66).
Four shots back to start the day, Vegas birdied Nos. 5 and 6 and added three more two-birdie bursts on the back nine — on Nos. 11-12, 14-15 and 17-18. He made a 5-footer on the par-3 17th and tapped in on 18.
Kuchar missed the cuts in nine of his first 11 events this year and 11 of 18 overall, with his best finish a tie for 17th at the Charles Schwab Challenge two months ago.
On Saturday, he three-putted for double bogey on the par-3 fourth, then birdied the next four holes. He tapped in for birdie on the 167-yard 17th after a near ace.
Cam Davis (65), Adam Svensson (66) and Matt NeSmith (70) were five shots back at 11 under.
Second-round leader Taylor Pendrith had a double bogey and four bogeys in a 73 that left him six shots back.
Sahith Theegala watches his tee shot on the second green during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Maverick McNealy hits on the fairway on the first hole during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Matt NeSmith hits out of a fairway bunker on the second hole during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Jhonattan Vegas reacts after missing a putt on the first green during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Patrick Fishburn watches his tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Maverick McNealy watches his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Matt Kuchar reacts after making his putt on the first green during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Jhonattan Vegas watches his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adolis García hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning, Cody Bradford pitched seven strong innings after the worst start of his career, and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Wednesday night.
The win kept the defending World Series-champion Rangers alive in the AL West race, trailing first-place Houston by 10 games with 10 to play.
García launched an inside sinker over the left-field wall off Toronto starter Bowden Francis (8-5) after Wyatt Langford singled.
“He swings hard, he swings a lot,” Francis said of García. “I guess the velo was dropping during that time.”
Bradford (6-3) allowed five hits and no walks while striking out six.
The seven shutout innings are the most in a game during his two-year career. He was knocked out of his previous start after allowing career highs in hits (nine), runs (eight) and homers (three) in 3 2/3 innings in a 14-4 loss at Arizona.
“Throughout the week, you’ve got to try and digest what happened, see where I can make adjustments, whether it was just game plan went wrong or just poor execution, or a little bit of both,” Bradford said. “Then you flush it.”
Bradford was perfect through four innings before Alejandro Kirk opened the fifth with a smash back to the mound that caromed off Bradford’s left foot and rolled into right field for a single. It extended Kirk’s hitting streak to a career-high 12 games.
Spencer Horwitz’s double to left-center put runners on second and third with no outs before Bradford retired the next three batters.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider credited Bradford’s “deceptive fastball.”
“When you’re throwing 89, 92, you’ve got to have pretty good deception with that at this level,” Schneider said. “Kept us off balance.”
Kirby Yates pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 31st save in 32 opportunities.
Francis, who took no-hitters into the ninth inning in two of his previous four starts, allowed a double to Marcus Semien, the Rangers’ first hitter of the game. He gave up five hits and one walk in six innings.
Francis has a 1.96 ERA in nine starts with 54 strikeouts and seven walks since being moved back into the starting rotation in late July.
“I don’t even want to get complacent, on cruise control,” Francis said. “Just keep attacking.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette was a late scratch with a right middle finger contusion suffered during infield practice. Schneider said the team will get back x-rays on Thursday. Bichette was activated Tuesday following a calf injury and played for the first time in two months, going 2 for 5 with one RBI at the plate. ... INF Will Wagner (left knee inflammation) will have the knee scoped on Thursday. Schneider said Wagner should be ready to start spring training. Wagner, son of former major leaguer Billy Wagner, was acquired from Houston at the trade deadline.
UP NEXT
Rangers rookie RHP Kumar Rocker (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will make his home debut against Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (12-11, 4.02) in the series finale. Rocker allowed one run in four innings at Seattle last Thursday in his major league debut.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk advances to third on a double by Spencer Horwitz in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers' Marcus Semien, left, celebrates his double as Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr., right, looks on in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Toronto Blue Jays' Ernie Clement fields a ground out by Texas Rangers' Marcus Semien in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)w
Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Leo Jimenez makes a leaping catch on a line out by Texas Rangers' Jonah Heim in the second inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Bowden Francis throws to the Texas Rangers in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cody Bradford throws to the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (30) reaches out for the throw to the bag to complete the ground out by Toronto Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz (48) in the second inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia settles beneath a Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fly out in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cody Bradford throws to the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers' Marcus Semien, left, and Adolis Garcia walk off the field after their team's win against the Toronto Blue Jays in a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
