BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Melky Cabrera may have had a shortened game in his debut with the Buffalo Bisons, but he made a very real mark on an opposing pitcher before he was done. Cabrera, the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder recovering from left knee tendinitis, went 1-for-3 over seven innings in the first triple-A game on his rehab assignment, a 2-1 win over the Toledo Mud Hens Friday night. He did not take his left field position for the eighth inning after a 46-minute rain delay. The hit, a sharp liner in the third inning, appeared to whistle just past the head of Toledo pitcher Jon Link and into centre field. Link, however, said after the game that the ball struck him. "It got me," said Link, who appeared in nine Major League games in 2010 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. "It went off the side of my head. It didnt blur me or daze me. If it was an inch to the left, I would have been in a world of trouble." Cabrera, who initially flinched and held his hands up to his head thinking he had injured Link, left the Buffalo clubhouse early and was unavailable for comment. "I didnt see his reaction," Link said. "I was trying to get out of the way. That ball was coming back in a hurry. When I first threw it, it looked like he was going to take it. He sure didnt take it." Buffalo manager Marty Brown had a balanced view of Cabreras overall performance. "He moved around the outfield real good," Brown said. "He still looks a little bit hampered on the bases. He didnt look his normal self. But thats not to be expected right away." Brown did not provide a timetable for Cabreras return to Toronto. "Id like to evaluate him after I see him for a few games rather than just one," Brown said. "It wasnt like when hes totally healthy." Cabrera, who has been on Torontos disabled list since June 27, also flied out to left field in the first inning and grounded out to second base in the fifth. In the field, Cabrera handled three fly balls without any trouble. Brown decided on keeping Cabrera off the wet field once play resumed after the rain delay. "Why take a chance on him slipping and having a setback?" Brown said. "I would have loved to see him hit one more time, but its not worth the risk." Prior to his injury, Cabrera played in 78 games with Toronto and batted .278 with three homers and 29 RBIs. He started his rehab by playing two games with Dunedin and three with double-A New Hampshire before coming to Buffalo. In five games in the lower rungs of the minor leagues, Cabrera batted .294 with five hits in 17 at-bats. The game marked Cabreras first triple-A appearance since playing in 15 contests for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in 2008. Buffalo took a 2-0 lead in the first inning as Mauro Gomez hit his International League-leading 26th home run, a two-run shot that scored Munenori Kawasaki. Cheap Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys . 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Mark Howe Jersey . - Connor McDavid scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Erie Otters came from behind to defeat the visiting Guelph Storm 4-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rougned Odor and the Texas Rangers are running away with the AL West, even though the Houston Astros keep trying to hang around.The fiery second baseman homered for the third straight game in a seven-run fourth inning, Carlos Gomez had two hits in his first game against his former team and the Rangers held on for a 10-8 victory over the Astros on Friday night.The Rangers nearly squandered a seven-run lead but won their sixth straight to push their AL West advantage to 9 1/2 games over the second-place Astros.Houston lost the first of 13 straight games against division leaders to start September, six of those against Texas. The Rangers are 12-2 against their in-state rivals this season and have won 20 of the past 24 meetings.Weve still got another month, man, shortstop Elvis Andrus said. As bad as its going to sound, you dont want to smell it yet. You want to keep pushing and keep creating space.Odors team-leading 28th home run was one of three in the fourth inning against Doug Fister (12-10), who came out after Jonathan Lucroy followed Odors shot to right with a line drive just over the 14-foot wall in left for a 9-2 lead.The 22-year-old has four homers in three games -- the first three in the last two games of a sweep of Seattle that essentially ended the Mariners hopes in the division race.Alex Bregman had a solo homer and a two-run triple but popped out to end the eighth with two runners on after the Astros had pulled within two.It was definitely a tale of a couple different games, Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. Our guys arent going to fold up and call it a game. But just not enough.Gomez, dumped by the Astros early last month barely a year after they acquired the underperforming two-time All-Star, reached in his first three plate appearances on a double, single and walk and scored three runs.A.J. Griffin (7-3) improvedd to 5-0 in his career against Houston, allowing three hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings.ddddddddddddSam Dyson pitched a perfect ninth for his 31st save after five other relievers combined to allow five runs -- four earned -- on four hits with three walks.Thats a young group over there (and) theyre going to continue to fight, Texas manager Jeff Banister said of the Astros. Was it pretty? No, but we got the job done.Carlos Beltran homered in the fourth, his 26th overall and fourth since coming to the Rangers from the New York Yankees at the Aug. 1 trade deadline. He had three RBI.Fister allowed season highs in hits (10), runs (eight) and earned runs (seven).WHERES THE BALL?The Rangers pulled even at 2 in the second by scoring two runs on a bouncer to third by Andrus. First baseman A.J. Reed caught Bregmans high throw as Lucroy scored but didnt realize the ball was knocked out of his glove on the tag as Andrus ran by him, allowing Gomez to score.TRAINERS ROOMAstros: 1B Marwin Gonzalez was day to day after leaving the previous game with discomfort in his right hamstring. A similar problem sidelined him for several games a month ago.Rangers: RHP Colby Lewis (right lat strain) will make the trip to Seattle and pitch Monday for Class A Spokane at Everett, near Seattle. He could return to the rotation after what will be his third rehab outing.UP NEXTAstros: Rookie RHP Joe Musgrove (2-2, 4.36 ERA) allowed one run in seven innings against Texas in his first big league start Aug. 7, five days after his debut in relief. Hes been in the rotation since then.Rangers: LHP Derek Holland (6-6, 4.68) is 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in two starts since returning from a stint on the 60-day disabled list because of left shoulder inflammation. ' ' '