(Arlington) Martin Perez allowed a run in six innings, Adolis Garcia hit the long ball for the second straight game and the Texas Rangers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Sunday.

The Canadian club returned to Toronto for the next five games after an 8-2 streak on the road. In the space of four days, he will face another draft team, the Tampa Bay Rays. In turn, the Rangers ended a three-game losing streak.

“We feel good. It was a good trip,” said Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider. “I like where we are as a group. »

Perez (11-6) reduced his losing streak to two, which tied his longest streak of the season. He allowed six hits, knocked out seven, and allowed two walks. Against Perez, the Blue Jays had no hits with a runner in scoring position.

“I don’t think about numbers, I don’t think about ‘winning the game alone,'” Perez admitted. I only think about “winning the game as a team player”. »

Garcia sent the ball over the fence into left field in the second round, his 24and season route. He accomplished his feat against Yusei Kikuchi, the second of five replacements to the Queen City roster.

Leody Taveras hit a solo homer for the Rangers in the eighth inning. As for José Leclerc, he didn’t give anything in the ninth and got the defense.

Rangers opened 1-0 in the first game with a pair of Nathaniel Lowe. They did it at the expense of Trevor Richards (3-2), the Blue Jays reliever who started the game.

Teoscar Hernandez, back from paternity leave, has hit two on three occasions. He hit a single that allowed Bo Bichette to cross home plate.

David Phelps retired all four batsmen he faced. He was the first of three Blue Jays relievers not to concede runs. The American is excited to play home games against the Baltimore Rays and Orioles.

“We spent the entire season in a position to reach the playoffs. We know what we can do, Phelps said. If we keep winning series, we’ll be in good shape. »

A definitive series against the Rays

The series between the Jays and the Rays will begin on Monday. At the Rays, left-handed reliever Brooks Raley will not be there, not being vaccinated against COVID-19. He was absent for the same reason from June 30 to July 3. Raley is 1-1 and a GAA of 2.03 with six saves.

Toronto and Tampa Bay are easily in the trio of clubs that can make the playoffs, bar one section title. Both teams have little chance of catching the New York Yankees, leader of the American Eastern Division.