After everything, the Texas Rangers are in first place in the AL West
The Texas Rangers caught fire in Toronto and are now on top of the American League West.
After back-to-back losses to the Miami Marlins, the Rangers won four straight against the Blue Jays to get back to .500 at 42-42, putting them a half-game ahead of Seattle in the division.
The Rangers were able to hold off the Blue Jays even after losing outfielder Wyatt Langford halfway through the series after he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Langford is expected to be out until after the All-Star break.
Shortstop Corey Seager was able to return to the lineup for the beginning of the series. He had missed the previous 12 games because of a concussion.
Throughout this season, the Rangers have struggled with going down early and having to come from behind. Against the Blue Jays, the Rangers shut out Toronto for at least the first four innings of each game.
During the first game on Thursday, the Rangers held a commanding 6-0 lead after just three innings, thanks to home runs from Joc Pederson, Langford and Jake Burger. MacKenzie Gore pitched seven innings, holding a shutout through four, along with five strikeouts.
The Blue Jays had a late push, hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to pull within a run before Jacob Latz struck out the final hitter for a 6-5 win.
Nathan Eovaldi was the star of the second game on Friday, winning his third straight start. He pitched seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts. The Rangers had a 5-0 lead after three innings, led by a home run from Justin Foscue.
It was the same story as the first game, as the Blue Jays had a late push but fell just short of the comeback, 5-4. Langford was injured during Friday’s game after hustling on a double.
The Rangers finally didn’t have a late scare in the third game. Saturday’s 7-4 win featured five pitchers for the Rangers, but still included a four-inning shutout. Seager made his mark back in the lineup with a home run in the sixth inning.
Sunday’s game featured a seven-inning shutout from the Rangers again, with Kumar Rocker pitching for six innings with five strikeouts. Pederson added a home run during the first.
The Blue Jays tied the game with a two-run home run in the eighth inning. Outfielder Jarred Kelenic was brought on as a pinch runner during the ninth and scored the winning run off a wild pitch for a 3-2 victory.
Kelenic was recently called up from Triple-A Round Rock after the Rangers sent Josh Smith down.
The Rangers remain on the road for a three-game series at Cleveland starting at 6 p.m. Monday. They will then return home for a nine-game homestand starting Thursday against Detroit to complete the first half of the season.
