Toronto Blue Jays 3, Texas Rangers 2

Rangers trudge to their fourth loss in their last five games.

The Texas Rangers lost again Friday night in Toronto, going down 3-2 to the Blue Jays for their fourth loss in their last five games. The loss dropped Texas to 68-50, five and a half games ahead of the Oakland A's for first place in the AL West. Toronto improved to 56-63.

Photo not provided by the Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays were indeed impressive.

Rangers starter Yu Darvish was decent, allowing three runs on just three hits over seven innings. Darvish, who walked just one while striking out ten, fell to 12-9 on the season with a 4.51 ERA. It was the seventh time this season that Darvish hit double-digits in strikeouts, tying the Rangers rookie record.

Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ was slightly better, giving up one run on two hits over six innings to improve to 2-1 on the year. Happ walked one while striking out eight, including six straight in the second and third innings.

Toronto opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, when Edwin Encarnacion belted a two-run, one-out home run to deep left field. It was Encarnacion's 31st home run of the season and second off of Darvish, which also includes the first-ever major league home run that Darvish allowed earlier in the season.

Texas got on the board in the top of the fifth when Michael Young led off with a single, advanced to second on David Murphy's single and then to third on Geovany Soto's sacrifice. Young then scored on Craig Gentry's groundout to make it 2-1.

Toronto got the eventual game-deciding run in the bottom of the frame, when light-hitting Anthony Gose tripled off Darvish, then scored on Rajai Davis' RBI single. The home run, triple and single were the only hits Darvish allowed all game.

Texas nearly tied it in the top of the seventh. After walks to Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz and a David Murphy single, rookie Mike Olt went to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. Olt hit it to wizened third baseman Omar Vizquel, whose fielding error allowed Olt to reach first and Beltre to score to make it 3-2. Blue Jays reliever Brandon Lyon came in to face Ian Kinsler at that point, and Kinsler meekly grounded into a fielder's choice at second.