The Toronto Blue Jays suffered a 6-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night, causing them to fall behind in the American League wild-card standings. The Blue Jays’ offense struggled, with their top three batters only managing one hit in 12 at-bats. On the other hand, the Rangers took advantage of the opportunity, extending their winning streak to four games.
The game started off well for the Rangers as Robbie Grossman hit a two-run homer and Corey Seager scored twice with three hits. Overall, the Rangers outperformed the Blue Jays with a 9-7 hit count. Toronto’s manager, John Schneider, acknowledged the strength of the Rangers and expressed disappointment in his team’s inability to string hits together.
The loss dropped the Blue Jays to a half-game behind the Rangers in the wild-card standings. They are now tied with the Seattle Mariners for the third and final wild-card spot. However, Texas now holds the tiebreaker advantage over Toronto if they end the season with identical records.
The Blue Jays struggled against Rangers starter Max Scherzer, managing only three hits against him before he left the game due to a right triceps spasm. Scherzer stated that he felt the injury after throwing a curveball to Bo Bichette and knew he couldn’t continue pitching. He hopes to recover quickly so he can return to the field. Scherzer’s exit led to Jose Leclerc replacing him, but he too struggled and was pulled in the seventh inning.
Toronto’s Hyun Jin Ryu started the game and allowed three earned runs and five hits over six innings. Despite his effort, the limited offensive support and defensive shortcomings prevented the Blue Jays from mounting a comeback.
Cavan Biggio managed to put Toronto on the board with an RBI single, and Ernie Clement and Davis Schneider added to the score with their own hits. In the ninth inning, Schneider hit a solo home run, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory.
The Blue Jays will continue their 10-game homestand, facing the Boston Red Sox after this four-game series with the Rangers. The Rangers, on the other hand, continue their winning streak, which is now their longest since August.
In other news, Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman is making progress towards a return to game action. He participated in various pre-game drills and is expected to resume playing soon. The Blue Jays made roster moves, placing first baseman Brandon Belt on the injured list due to lumbar spine muscle spasms and recalling outfielder Nathan Lukes from triple-A Buffalo.
As for the ceremonial first pitch, former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Rick Vaive had the honor. He was joined by retired NHL players Gary Leeman, Mike Gartner, Steve Thomas, and Nik Antropov near the mound.
The next game in the series will feature left-handers Yusei Kikuchi for the Blue Jays and Jordan Montgomery for the Rangers.