Nathan Lukes and Charles McAdoo each had two RBIs to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon in Arlington, Texas.
Kazuma Okamoto broke a 2-2 deadlock with an RBI single in the fifth and gave the Blue Jays (77-79) a lead they would never relinquish as they avoided a weekend sweep.
The Blue Jays are two and a half games back of the Chicago White Sox for the final American League wild-card spot with the win, as of Sunday afternoon.
Texas (78-78) maintained its one-game lead in the AL West despite the defeat, as second-place Houston lost earlier in the day to Atlanta.
Spencer Arrighetti (9-9) picked up the win. He allowed two runs in 2 1/3 innings of relief.
Rangers starter Jacob deGrom (11-10) had a shaky outing and took the loss, giving up three runs with five hits, four walks and two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
DeGrom was in early trouble when he walked Brett Bateman to start the game and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled him over to third base, but he escaped with one run allowed on Lukes’ sacrifice fly.
Designated hitter Sean Keys tacked on an RBI double in the third.
With two down in the fourth, Jake Burger tied the game with a 395-foot shot which just evaded the glove of Bateman.
Okamoto restored the Blue Jays’ lead in the fifth with an RBI knock, bringing home Bateman.
Toronto took control with a four-run seventh. After Bateman doubled and Straw walked, Lukes’ run-scoring knock chased Tyler Alexander.
Chase Silseth wasn’t able to fare much better, giving up a two-out, two-run double to McAdoo before Adam Macko surrendered an RBI single to Andres Gimenez.
Texas launched one last rally in the ninth, but with runners on first and second and one out, Louis Varland got Corey Seager to ground into a double play to end the game.
Spencer Miles opened for Toronto in a bullpen game. He threw three shutout innings with four strikeouts and earned a no-decision.
Guerrero Jr. was pulled in the top of the fourth with left lower back tightness. He was 1-for-2 with a single.
