ARLINGTON -- The Blue Jays left Texas with a much-needed victory that kept their American League Wild Card hopes alive, but mounting injury concerns tempered any renewed enthusiasm.
Toronto (77-79) won the last of a three-game series, 7-2, despite Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leaving in the fourth inning with lower back stiffness.
That development came just a couple of hours after the team announced that right-hander Dylan Cease had been sent back to Toronto for an MRI on his pitching shoulder on Saturday. Cease has been scratched from his next scheduled start on Wednesday, though hope remains that the Blue Jays ace could be available for the team’s final regular-season series against the Reds next weekend.
Time will tell.
The Blue Jays did what they needed to do Sunday in breaking a two-game skid. Toronto now sits 2 1/2 games back of the White Sox for the final postseason berth. The White Sox’s game with the Tigers Sunday was delayed by weather but is expected to be played today.
Nathan Lukes and Charles McAdoo each had two RBIs, including run-scoring hits in the Blue Jays' four-run seventh inning that broke open a one-run game. Andrés Giménez also had an RBI in the inning, while Kazuma Okamoto and Sean Keys each drove in a run in the early innings.
Brett Bateman served as catalyst with walks to lead off the first and fifth innings, as well as a single to lead off the seventh. He scored all three times.
Right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (9-9) earned the victory in relief of opener Spencer Miles. Arrighetti worked 2 1/3 innings, giving up two hits, including Jake Burger’s two-run home run that tied the game in the fourth. Arrighetti also walked two hitters, including Ezequiel Duran, who got on base two hitters before Burger came to the plate.
The right-handed Miles was good, going three innings, giving up two hits and striking out four on 46 pitches.
Miles has been very effective in that role. In his four most recent opener appearances, Miles has pitched nine scoreless innings, giving up six hits, two walks, and striking out 10.
Five other pitchers finished out a stifling performance against the Rangers. Mason Fluharty, Paul Sewald, José Rodríguez, Tyler Rogers, and Louis Varland combined to allow four hits and one walk with one strikeout in 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Bateman led off Toronto’s decisive seventh inning with a double off lefty Tyler Alexander. Straw’s walk was followed by Lukes’ run-scoring base hit. McAdoo, facing right-hander Chase Silseth, doubled in Straw and Lukes before Gimenez drove him in from second with a base hit off Adam Macko.
The Blue Jays got to Texas ace right-hander Jacob deGrom (11-10) for three runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings.
The Blue Jays will wrap up the road portion of the regular season with a three-game series in Baltimore, starting Monday. They’ll head home for the final three games of the regular season against the Reds.