Blue Jays lose fifth straight since returning to .500 as Rangers roll to 7-4 win

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider pulls Dylan Cease (84) from the game during fifth inning American League MLB baseball action against the Texas Rangers, in Toronto, Saturday, June 27, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

TORONTO — The Texas Rangers scored five runs in a two-out fifth-inning rally as they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 on Saturday.

Toronto (39-44) has now lost five straight games since climbing back to .500. Texas improved to 41-42 amid a tight American League West race and clinched the four-game series win at Rogers Centre.

The Rangers held a lead of at least 5-0 for the third consecutive contest against the Blue Jays, and Toronto was once again unable to come back.

Most of Texas’ damage came in the fifth when it scored five runs on two walks and five hits off Toronto starter Dylan Cease and reliever Mason Fluharty to build a 6-0 advantage.

Fluharty entered with runners on first and second but walked pinch-hitter Ezequiel Duran to load the bases before two-run hits from Alejandro Osuna and Elias Diaz blew the game open.

Cease struggled with command over his 4 2/3 innings, allowing four earned runs while walking five and striking out 10. Rangers starter Cal Quantrill, of Port Hope, Ont., pitched four scoreless innings with five strikeouts.

Blue Jays first baseman Sean Keys, 23, made his MLB debut, going 1-for-4 with a single and a run. The power-hitting prospect was called up earlier Saturday in a series of moves that also saw outfielder Yohendrick Pinango return to the team, outfielder Jesus Sanchez placed on the injured list (ankle sprain) and utility man Davis Schneider optioned to triple-A.

Pinango, who started in left field, made up for a first-inning defensive blunder by blasting a two-run home run in the fifth inning.

Rangers shortstop Corey Seager and Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk exchanged solo homers in the sixth. Toronto added one more in the frame on an Andres Gimenez RBI single that scored Keys.

Gavin McKenna, selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in Friday’s NHL draft, threw the ceremonial first pitch.

Takeaways

Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s struggles continued with an 0-for-5 night that included a strikeout. He has just three hits in 21 at-bats during the Blue Jays’ losing streak.

Rangers: Quantrill, making just his second start of the season, silenced the Blue Jays bats over four innings. … Centre fielder Wyatt Langford was a last-minute scratch from the starting lineup due to left hamstring tightness.

Key moment

Guerrero grounded out with runners on first and second in the sixth inning, leading to scattered boos from the home fans. He then grounded out to end the game, garnering the same reaction. In the third inning, he appeared to jog out of the batter’s box on a grounder to shortstop Corey Seager, who bobbled the ball but still threw Guerrero out.

Key stat

Kirk’s home run marked the 500th hit of his career and came just one batter before Keys singled to right field for his first MLB knock.

Up next

The Blue Jays will look to avoid a sweep Sunday with Shane Bieber (0-0, 9.82 ERA) making his second start of the season against the Rangers’ Kumar Rocker (2-6, 4.14).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2026.

Myles Dichter, The Canadian Press