In a game that mattered to Texas baseball fans, the Toronto Blue Jays prevented a series sweep by defeating the Texas Rangers 7-2 on Sunday night at Globe Life Field. The win keeps the Rangers’ lead in the AL West narrow and leaves both clubs still fighting for postseason spots.
Key moments
Leadoff hitter Brett Bateman set the tone early, walking twice and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Nathan Lukes in the first inning. He added a go‑ahead RBI single in the fifth and later scored on a double‑header from Lukes after a leadoff double sparked a four‑run seventh inning.
Kazuma Okamota delivered the decisive hit in the fifth, driving in Bateman to give Toronto a 2‑1 lead. Nathan Lukes continued his strong performance, adding a single and scoring on a Sean Keys double in the third inning, extending the Blue Jays’ advantage to 2‑0.
Texas starter Jacob de Grom, who entered the game with a 11‑10 record, struggled with mild groin tightness and left the game in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and the Rangers trailing 3‑2. Reliever Robert Garcia promptly induced a double‑play grounder on his first pitch, ending the inning without further damage.
Standings impact
With six games remaining in the regular season, the Rangers (78‑78) maintain a one‑game lead in the AL West after the Houston Astros (77‑79) fell 4‑2 to the NL East champion Atlanta Braves. The Astros hold the division tiebreaker, meaning the race remains tight.
Toronto (77‑79) now shares the same record as Houston and sits 2½ games behind the Chicago White Sox for the final wild‑card spot. The Blue Jays’ victory narrows the gap and keeps their postseason hopes alive.
Pitching notes
Spencer Arrighetti (9‑9) earned the win for Toronto despite allowing the only two Rangers runs over two innings. De Grom finished with five hits, four walks, and one hit‑by‑pitch, adding two strikeouts to bring his season total to 196—just shy of a fifth 200‑strikeout season.
Texas’ offense was highlighted by Jake Burger’s 27th home run, a two‑run blast that traveled 398 feet before ricocheting off Bateman’s glove in center field.
Looking ahead
The Blue Jays open a three‑game series in Baltimore on Monday night, while the Rangers will have a day off before beginning their final home series against the New York Mets on Tuesday.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
