BEST OF THE DAY
Rangers 11, Blue Jays 4
ARLINGTON, Texas — Carlos Gomez hit two home runs and matched his career high with five RBIs as the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-4 on Thursday for a split of a four-game series.
“I’ve been feeling really well at the plate the last couple of games, and I’ve been keeping up the good work,” said Gomez, right, who has five homers in six games since returning from the disabled list after missing a month with a right hamstring strain.
Mike Napoli and Robinson Chirinos also homered for the Rangers (36-36), who won for the ninth time in 13 games to get back to .500 before playing 20 of their next 26 games on the road.
Gomez hit a three-run homer in the third inning that ricocheted off the left-field foul pole and put Texas up 6-0. He added a two-run homer in the seventh.
“When he’s locked in, he’s extremely challenging. He’s a true professional hitter with a ton of power,” manager Jeff Banister said.
The Blue Jays (35-37), who beat Texas in the AL Division Series each of the previous two seasons, lost for the ninth straight time when they had a chance to reach .500 for the first time this season. They have been outscored 73-24 in those nine losses.