Danny Jansen homered for the third time in two games, Kevin Gausman worked six innings to win his fourth consecutive decision and the visiting Toronto Blue Jays beat the slumping AL West-leading Texas Rangers 2-1 on Friday night.
Jansen hit a two-run homer in the fifth off Martin Perez (6-3). A day earlier, Jansen had two solo homers for the Blue Jays’ only runs in a 4-2 loss at Baltimore.
Leody Taveras homered leading off the third for the Rangers (42-27), who lost for the seventh time in nine games. It was the No. 9 hitter’s seventh homer this season, all in 39 games since the start of May.
Matt Chapman drew a walk to start the fifth, and Jansen followed with his ninth homer, a 385-foot drive that cleared the left-field wall. Jansen has gone deep six times in his last 12 games, though he was playing only his fourth game since being activated from the injured list after missing 2 1/2 weeks with a left groin strain.
Stop us if you’ve heard this before…<br><br>???? Danny Jansen Dinger ???? <a href=”https://t.co/s4Eps3yyJP”>pic.twitter.com/s4Eps3yyJP</a>
—@BlueJays
Perez has already allowed 12 homers in his 14 starts. There were only 11 long balls off him in 32 starts last season when he was a first-time all-star.
After giving up 14 runs over 15 innings his previous three starts, Perez limited the Blue Jays to two runs on their only three hits over six innings. He struck out three and walked one.
Toronto right-hander Adam Cimber returned from the paternity list and 1B/OF Spencer Horwitz was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. The Blue Jays optioned RHP Thomas Hatch and OF Nathan Lukes to Buffalo.
Rangers right-hander Dane Dunning (5-1, 2.76 ERA) starts the middle game of the series Saturday. The Blue Jays are going with a bullpen day.
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