Semien homers in return, Eovaldi wins seventh straight as Rangers rout Blue Jays
Marcus Semien homered and scored twice in his return to the lineup, and Nathan Eovaldi pitched seven strong innings to win his seventh consecutive decision as the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-4 on Sunday, avoiding a three-game sweep.
Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter each hit two-run homers, and Corey Seager added a solo shot as the Rangers snapped a four-game losing streak.
Texas first baseman Jake Burger exited after six innings due to a sore left wrist.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alejandro Kirk hit solo home runs, but that was all the offense Toronto managed against Eovaldi (11-3), who allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and no walks. The right-hander is unbeaten since a May 22 road loss to the Yankees and is 6-2 with a 1.62 ERA in 11 starts following a Rangers loss.
Shawn Armstrong recorded the final four outs for his fourth save in seven chances.
Semien, back at second base after sitting out Saturday's game with a sore right wrist, hit a two-run homer off José Berríos in the second inning — his 15th of the season. Seager chased Berríos with a one-out homer in the fifth, his 18th.
Langford homered off Braydon Fisher in the sixth, his 17th, and Carter connected off Louis Varland in the ninth for his fifth.
Berríos (9-5) allowed a season-high 10 hits and matched a season-high by giving up six runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Guerrero's sixth-inning homer was his 21st. Kirk hit his ninth in the second. George Springer added a two-run homer off Hoby Milner in the eighth, his 19th.
Texas scored three runs on five consecutive two-out hits in the fourth inning, with the first four coming on two-strike counts.
The Rangers open a series in Kansas City on Monday, with right-hander Jack Leiter (7-6, 3.94 ERA) scheduled to face Royals right-hander Michael Wacha (7-9, 3.35). The Blue Jays head to Pittsburgh, where right-hander Kevin Gausman (8-9, 3.79) will start against rookie Paul Skenes (7-9, 2.13).