Varsho and Guerrero homer to help Blue Jays sweep Rangers. Gray leaves without throwing a pitch
Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) — Daulton Varsho homered in the first inning for the second straight game, José Berríos pitched seven sharp innings to snap a three-start winless streak and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers 7-3 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of the defending World Series champions.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a solo home run, his fifth in nine games since the All-Star break, and drove in a pair as the Blue Jays earned their second sweep of the season. Toronto swept a three-game series against the White Sox from May 27-29.
Josh Smith hit a two-run homer but Texas lost its third straight after winning the previous five. The Rangers were swept for the fifth time, all on the road.
“You’re going to hit bumps in the road,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “This is a tough one.”
Rangers right-hander Jon Gray left without throwing a pitch after feeling discomfort in his right groin while warming up for the bottom of the first inning.
“It’s the worst,” Gray said. “It feels like a bad dream. It’s ridiculous.”
Gray was on the 15-day injured list from May 22 until June 7 because of a mild right groin strain. He said this injury felt different than the previous one.
“I couldn’t really get my leg up off the ground trying to warm up,” Gray said.
The Rangers, who got just two outs from starter Michael Lorenzen in Saturday’s 7-3 loss, brought in right-hander Jonathan Hernández to pitch in Gray’s place.
Hernández (3-1) allowed five runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings, including Varsho’s two-run homer in the first.
“It’s kind of like spring training a little bit, where you don’t really know who you’re facing,” Varsho said. “You just pick a little video, pick a little of the report and be able to go have a competitive at-bat.”
Guerrero hit a one-out homer in the third, his 19th.
After left-hander Jacob Latz got four outs and allowed one run, Lorenzen took over in the fifth and retired the side on 14 pitches.
Lorenzen pitched the final four innings, permitting one run and three hits.
Bochy said Lorenzen came to him and volunteered to pitch after Gray exited.
“I can’t say enough about what he did,” Bochy said. “That’s quite a job he did to pick us up.”
Lorenzen threw 40 pitches Saturday before being replaced, then 55 on Sunday.
Berríos gave up one run and six hits, improving to 7-2 with a 2.99 ERA in 11 home starts. He’s 2-6 with a 4.99 ERA in 11 road starts.
“He had good fastball command,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “When he’s doing that it sets up his other three pitches.”
Smith went down in pain after fouling a pitch off his left knee in the eighth, but finished his at-bat against left-hander Génesis Cabrera with a two-run homer, his 11th.
Cabrera got two outs before right-hander Zach Pop retired Jonah Heim to end the eighth, stranding two runners. Pop finished in the ninth for his first career save.
ROSTER MOVES
Toronto recalled C Brian Serven from Triple-A Buffalo. The Blue Jays traded C Danny Jansen to Boston on Saturday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: OF Kevin Kiermaier (hip) stayed in the game after crashing into the wall while trying to catch Wyatt Langford’s double in the fifth. Kiermaier singled in the bottom half and was replaced by pinch-runner Steward Berroa.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (7-4, 3.31 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday as Texas visits St. Louis. RHP Andre Pallante (4-4, 3.92) pitches for the Cardinals.
Blue Jays: Toronto begins a four-game series at Baltimore with a doubleheader on Monday. RHP Yariel Rodriguez (1-3, 3.69 ERA) will start Game 1 for Toronto and RHP Bowden Francis (3-2, 5.82) will be called up from Triple-A to start Game 2.
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