Rangers beat sloppy Blue Jays 7-1 and close gap in playoff race

Corey Seager had an RBI double in a four-run second inning fueled by a throwing error, and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1 on Friday night in the opener of a series matching AL playoff chasers.

The Rangers (77-77) reached .500 for a majors-leading 23rd time and pulled within one game of the White Sox for the third and final AL wild-card spot, although Chicago has the tiebreaker. The defending AL champion Blue Jays (76-78) are two games back in the wild-card race.

Texas also closed the gap on Houston by pulling even with the Astros atop the AL West, but the Rangers would have to win the division outright to finish ahead of their in-state rival. Houston lost to Atlanta 6-2.

The Rangers took the lead in the second on Evan Carter’s bases-loaded grounder that scored Wyatt Langford, and Jake Burger also came home when shortstop Ernie Clement’s throw trying to force him out at third bounced wide of the bag into foul territory. Seager made it 4-0 with his double.

Dylan Cease (11-6) walked a season-high six among his first 15 batters and was replaced with two outs in the third after throwing 38 balls and 36 strikes.

Six of the Texas runs were unearned as the Blue Jays walked 10 and had three throwing errors, two by third baseman Kazuma Okamoto.

Trevor Williams (2-0) finished with four scoreless innings after starter Kumar Rocker took a 4-0 lead into the fifth but couldn’t finish and was replaced by Tyler Alexander.

Toronto’s Nathan Lukes had the longest active hitting streak in the majors stopped at 13 games when he was replaced by pinch-hitter Davis Schneider in the fifth. Lukes was 0 for 2 with a deep liner that Carter, the center fielder, ran down at the wall in right center.

Up next

Blue Jays RHP José Soriano (12-7, 3.56 ERA) is set to face Texas RHP Cal Quantrill (9-5, 2.90) on Saturday.