The Toronto Blue Jays twice intentionally walked batters to set up a lefty-on-lefty matchup with Murphy, who came in hitting .237 in such situations.
Both times he made them pay.
Murphy’s two-run single with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning capped a three-run rally and lifted the Rangers to a 9-8 victory on Friday night.
“It motivates you,” said Baylor product Murphy, who also had a two-run single off left-hander Jesse Carlson in the fifth. “They think they can beat me a little easier with lefties. Obviously that’s what the numbers show. It motivates you to try even harder.”
Pinch hitter Jarrod Saltalamacchia drew a one-out walk from B.J. Ryan (2-4) in the ninth, and Michael Young followed with single. Brandon Boggs, who entered when Josh Hamilton left with dehydration after the sixth, doubled to score Saltalamacchia.
Ryan, who blew his third save in 23 chances, intentionally walked Marlon Byrd to load the bases.
Murphy hit a grounder just past a diving Scott Rolen at third to bring in the tying and winning runs. Teammates mobbed Murphy near first base as the Rangers rallied from a 6-0 and 8-6 deficits for their 22nd comeback victory.
“We were down six, but it was early,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “We got something going and kept chipping away. You like to see fight like that. We’re a team with heart.”
Texas’ enthusiasm was tempered when the Rangers announced the firing of pitching coach Mark Connor and bullpen coach Dom Chiti 45 minutes after the game.
Andy Hawkins, the Triple-A Oklahoma pitching coach, will replace Connor, and Jim Colborn, the director of Pacific Rim operations, is the new bullpen coach.
The Rangers came into the game last in the American League in earned-run average, and it looked like their bullpen was going to cost them Friday’s game.
Texas closer C.J. Wilson (2-2) picked up win despite allowing two runs in the ninth,
Adam Lind gave Toronto a 7-6 lead in the top of the ninth with a one-out triple, and he scored on Kevin Mench’s RBI groundout.
Hamilton, whose status is day-to-day, hit his 26th homer in the fourth and drove in two runs to increase his major league-leading total to 106.
Texas, which got within 6-2 on Hamilton’s homer, scored four in the fifth.
