Rangers Still Lead AL West Despite Loss to Blue Jays

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

September 20, 2026

Blue Jays 7, Rangers 2

ARLINGTON, Texas (Sep 20) — The Texas Rangers stumbled in their bid for a three-game sweep with a 7–2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays Sunday. Sean Keys delivered an RBI double in the third inning to help the Blue Jays avoid the sweep. The saving grace for the Rangers is that they remain in first place in the AL West. They sit one game in front the Houston Astros, 4–2 losers to the Atlanta Braves, Sunday afternoon.

After an off day Monday, the Rangers will host the New York Mets for three in their final home series of the 2026 regular season. First pitch for the series opener on Tuesday is set for 7:05 pm Central at Globe Life Field. Left-hander Sean Manaea (5–7, 4.74 ERA) will get the ball for the Mets, while the Rangers have yet to name their starter for that game as of press time.

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, will finish their road trip with a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles, set to get underway Monday with first pitch slated for 6:35 pm Eastern at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Righty Trey Yesavage (5–5, 3.65 ERA) will take the hill for the Blue Jays, and the Orioles haven’t announced their starting pitcher as of press time.

Rangers — Blue Jays Game Summary

The Blue Jays drew first blood in the top of the first with Jacob deGrom on the hill. Brett Bateman led off with a walk, and Vladimir Gurrerro Jr. followed with a single to right. Bateman advanced to third on the play. Up next was Nathan Lukes, who hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Bateman.

The Blue Jays put another run on the board in the top of the third. Lukes reached on a one-out single to right. Kazuma Okamoto flied to second to bring up Keys, who plated Lukes with a double to right.

The Rangers tied things up in the bottom of the fourth off reliever Spencer Arrighetti. Ezequiel Duran set the table with a one-out walk. He advanced 90 feet on a groundout to second by Alejandro Osuna. On deck was Jake Burger, who sent the crowd of 33,694 into a frenzy with a two-run blast to left-center on a 1–0 pitch, his 27th home run on the season.

The Blue Jays regained the lead in the top of the fifth. After Bateman led off with a walk, Myles Straw singled to center. Up next was Lukes, who lined to right. Bateman scored on a single up the middle by Okamoto.

Runaway Jays

The lead opened up to 7–2 in the top of the seventh with reliever Tyler Alexander on the mound. Bateman led off with a double to left, and Straw joined him on the base paths with a walk. Up next was Lukes, who plated Bateman with a single to right. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker brought in Chase Silseth to relieve Alexander. After Okamoto struck out swinging and Keys grounded to first, respectively, Charles McAdoo drove in Straw and Lukes with a double to left.

The Rangers made another change and brought in reliever Adam Macko. The first batter he faced was Andres Gimenez, who plated McAdoo with a sharp single to right.

What Went Right for the Blue Jays

The Blue Jays were able to get to a Rangers’ pitching staff that has had their number in the previous two games. The Rangers used five pitchers in a game started by deGrom. That is no easy task. The Blue Jays’ biggest hit was the RBI double by Keys in the third, and they had various other RBI hits to go along with it.

What Went Wrong for the Blue Jays

Guerrero exited the game in the bottom of the fourth with lower back tightness. Other than that, the only thing that gave the Blue Jays problems was the two-run shot in the fourth inning by Burger.

Tough Day for deGrom

Rangers starter Jacob deGrom was charged with the loss, allowing three runs across 4 1/3 innings in his 30th start of the season. He allowed 10 baserunners. The rest of his line was 5 H, 4 BB, 1 HBP. The 10 men on base marked the third-most in any outing this year. deGrom permitted a single, a hit-by-pitch, a walk, and a sacrifice fly in the top of the first. He owns an 8.40 ERA and .949 opponents OPS in the first inning this year. His overall record now sits at 11–10 with a 3.86 ERA.

deGrom yielded the two-out run-scoring double to Keys in the third and exited in the fifth after four of the first five Jays reached. Robert Garcia, however, induced an inning-ending double-play grounder to strand deGrom’s three bequeathed baserunners. deGrom now has two straight and six total seasons with 30 starts (2015, 2017-19, 2025-26).

Miles’ Afternoon

Blue Jays starter Spencer Miles made his 47th appearance and seventh start of 2026. His line was 3 IP with 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, and 4 K. He tossed 46 pitches, 30 for strikes, allowing a pair of singles scattered across the second and third innings. Miles has gone eight scoreless innings with six hits, two walks, and 10 strikeouts over his last four outings as an opener as the Blue Jays moved to 3–1 in those games. Miles made his longest start since a four-inning, six-earned-run performance on July 17 versus the Chicago White Sox.

Arrighetti entered the game in the fourth, surrendering the game-tying two-run homer to Burger, his 18th homer allowed this year. He retired five of the next seven batters without further damage. Arrighetti has gone seven innings with two earned runs, five hits, six walks, and six strikeouts over his last three appearances in bulk relief, with the Blue Jays going 2–1 in those games.

Schumaker’s Postgame Comments

After the game, Schumaker went over the progress the Rangers have made the past couple days. “We won a series, a really good series win against a tough team,” he said. “Of course, you would have liked to have swept and got a win. We didn’t, but these guys fought and played hard. If you would have told me we’d win the first two series of the homestand, I would have taken it. We did just that and we have a much-needed off day. A lot of these guys are feeling it a little bit, so hopefully we can come back and feel refreshed and play a Mets team that’s playing really good right now.”