Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two home runs and four RBIs, starter Robbie Ray pitched into the seventh inning and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Texas Rangers 10-2 Friday night at Buffalo.
Guerrero, MVP of the All-Star Game on Tuesday, hit a solo homer in the first and a three-run blast in the sixth of the opener of the three-game series played in drizzle. He has 30 homers and 77 RBIs this season.
Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run homer for Toronto and Marcus Semien and Randal Grichuk added solo shots.
Eli White hit a two-run homer for Texas.
Ray (8-4) allowed no runs, four hits and two walks while striking out eight in 6 2/3 innings.
Rangers right-hander Jordan Lyles (5-6) allowed six runs, seven hits (four home runs) and three walks in four innings.
Ray, who overcame two second-inning walks, gave up Charlie Culberson’s leadoff double in the third. Culberson took third on a groundout and was out at home on a grounder to third by Andy Ibanez.
Semien led off the bottom of the third with his 23rd homer this season. Guerrero walked. Hernandez hit his 12th homer of the season and Grichuk followed with his 17th.
The Blue Jays took a 6-0 lead in the fourth when Semien doubled and slid home safely on Bo Bichette’s single to left.
Joe Barlow tossed a perfect fifth with one strikeout for Texas. Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo was ejected, apparently because there was no review of the play at first that ended the inning.
Dennis Santana allowed Bichette’s RBI single and Guerrero’s mammoth three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth.
Ray allowed a single and a double in the seventh before being replaced by Adam Cimber, who allowed a walk to load the bases before ending the inning on a groundout.
Ryan Borucki pitched around a leadoff single in the eighth inning.
Jacob Barnes allowed a walk and White’s fifth homer of the season in the ninth.
Toronto reinstated Borucki from the 60-day injured list (left forearm flexor strain) Friday and designated right-hander Joel Payamps for assignment.
–Field Level Media