Rolling! Texas Rangers Sweep Blue Jays To Increase Wild Card Lead

The Texas Rangers won their sixth consecutive game and finished a four-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Like a maple leaf blown away by the wind, the Texas Rangers dismissed the Toronto Blue Jays in a crucial series Thursday.

The Rangers completed a four-game sweep with a 9-2 win at Rogers Centre to increase their lead in the AL Wild Card race.

The Rangers (82-64) moved to within a half-game of the first-place Houston Astros (83-64) in the AL West Division, one game ahead of the third-place Seattle Mariners. Both the Astros and Mariners were idle on Thursday.

How about THAT to start!! 💪

A Corey Seager HOMER!! 🔥
@Rangers | #StraightUpTX | 📺: BSSW pic.twitter.com/DEOYV6GngI

— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) September 14, 2023

The Blue Jays (80-67) dropped two games behind the Rangers in the Wild Card standings, and 1 1/2 games behind the Mariners, who currently own the third of three Wild Card spots. The Tampa Bay Rays have a comfortable eight-game lead on Texas in the top Wild Card spot. 

Corey Seager was 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBI. He also doubled, scored twice, and drew an intentional walk.

Jonah Heim's solo homer in the third pushed Texas' lead to 4-2.

Jose Leclerc took over for Cody Bradford after a leadoff walk in the seventh and struck out three batters, including the final two after putting the second runner on with a walk of his own.

Texas added five runs in the eighth on Marcus Semien's double, Nathaniel Lowe's two-run single, a bases-loaded walk, and a sacrifice fly to take a commanding seven-run lead.

The Rangers had 10 or more hits in three of the four games.

Rangers 4, Blue Jays 2

Here are the key moments from Thursday's game in Toronto:

Corey Seager Joins Elite Group

Corey Seager joined an elite group of shortstops to record 30 or more home runs, 40 or more doubles, and .300 or better in the same season.

The other players to do it are Alex Rodriguez (1996), Xander Bogaerts (2019), Cal Ripken Jr. (1991), Miguel Tejada (2004), and Nomar Garciaparra (1997).

Seager, who is batting .343, trails only Alex Rodriguez's .358 average in 1996.

Garver Leaves Game With Injury

Mitch Garver left the game in the fifth inning with left foot soreness after fouling a ball of his foot in his fourth-inning at-bat.

Eovaldi Evolving

Starter Nathan Eovaldi left after 3 1/2 innings Thursday, a slight improvement over his first two starts in September. He allowed two runs on three hits and three walks. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s two-run homer in the first was his only mistake. He was replaced by Cody Bradford after a one-out single in the fourth.

Eovaldi went 1 1/3 and 2 1/3 in his two previous September starts after returning from the 15-day injured list.

Up Next

The Rangers open a three-game series against the Indians in Cleveland with right-hander Jon Gray (8-7, 3.96) facing right-hander Lucas Giolito (7-13, 4.89) at 6:10 p.m. Friday.

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You can follow Stefan Stevenson on Twitter @StefanVersusTex.

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