TORONTO – Breaking up is never easy, but with the backdrop of a fast-approaching trade deadline the Toronto Blue Jays got their act together over the weekend.
They lost teammates Yimi Garcia, Nate Pearson and Danny Jansen to trades in three days but swept the defending World Series-champion Texas Rangers (51-55) with a 7-3 win before 40,052 at Rogers Centre on Sunday.
Daulton Varsho and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered to help the Blue Jays (49-56) seal just their second sweep in 2024 and stop the Rangers’ five-game win streak they arrived in town with last Friday.
“In kind of uncertain times around the league for everyone, I love the way they’re going about it,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of his players.
“it was a pretty complete package.”
The Blue Jays outscored the Rangers 20-11 on the strength of outstanding offence, defence and pitching.
Rookie Leo Jimenez had a strong finale at shortstop after Varsho and George Springer turned some defensive gems in the first two games of the series.
On the heels of Kevin Gausman’s complete game on Saturday, Jose Berrios (9-8) rebounded from his career-tying six-walk outing last Tuesday.
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The Toronto righty gave up a run on six hits with no walks and five strikeouts in seven innings.
“I feel like a new guy, a new pitcher,” said Berrios, who employed his lead hip to throw a more effective fastball that set up his other pitches.
Varsho’s two-run blast, his 13th, came in a three-run first inning. He homered in back-to-back games after going six weeks without one.
“I have an understanding of what I need to do better and being able to trust what I’m doing,” Varsho said.
“His swing just looks a little bit more free and easy right now,” added Schneider. “But he’s got all the power in the world.”
Guerrero knocked out his team-leading 19th homer to right field as part of a three-run third.
Texas starter Jon Gray aggravated a right groin injury while warming up in the first inning. He was replaced by Jonathan Hernandez (3-1) before leadoff hitter Spencer Horwitz arrived at the plate.
The Rangers bullpen already was stretched thin after Saturday’s starter Michael Lorenzen failed to finish the first inning.
Lorenzen wound up making an appearance to start the fifth and worked the final four innings.
Before Varsho’s two-run homer with Ernie Clement aboard, Guerrero knocked in the first run with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Guerrero’s homer in the third was with one out. Addison Barger then knocked in Justin Turner and Varsho with a double to right-centre.
Varsho opened Saturday’s game with a three-run blast.
After Nathaniel Lowe’s run-scoring single off Berrios put the Rangers on the board in the sixth, Leo Jimenez’s sacrifice fly scored Alejandro Kirk in the bottom half of the inning.
Genesis Cabrera replaced Berrios to start the eighth and promptly gave up a two-run homer to Josh Smith.
Barger and Turner led the Blue Jays offence with two hits apiece.
Outfielder Kevin Kiermaier suffered a hip contusion when he smashed into the wall in the sixth and later pulled himself after running to first on his single in the bottom of the inning.
CATCHER CALL-UP
With catcher Danny Jansen traded to the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, the Blue Jays recalled Brian Serven from Triple-A Buffalo. The 29-year-old Serven saw action in five Blue Jays games earlier this season.
ON DECK
The Blue Jays begin a four-game set with a doubleheader in Baltimore against the Orioles on Monday. Yariel Rodriguez (1-3) and Bowden Francis (3-2) are scheduled to pitch for Toronto.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press