Series Preview: Plenty at stake as Blue Jays battle Semien, Rangers

The biggest series of the year is here.

A much-anticipated four-game showdown between the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers kicks off Monday at Rogers Centre.

The Blue Jays sit second in the American League wild-card race, one game up on the Seattle Mariners and 1.5 ahead of Texas.

Toronto just completed a 10-5 stretch against teams with losing records, while the Rangers have been in free-fall mode, winning just six of 22. The slide has pushed the Rangers out of first in the AL West into a spot outside the playoff picture.

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, have dug themselves out of a 3.5-game hole in the wild-card race.

Here’s a look at the series.

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Probable Pitchers

Monday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT: Toronto RHP Chris Bassitt (14-7, 3.69 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Dane Dunning (9-6, 3.88 ERA)

Tuesday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT: Toronto LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (3-2, 2.65 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Max Scherzer (12-6, 3.91 ERA)

Wednesday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT: Toronto LHP Yusei Kikuchi (9-5, 3.57 ERA) vs. Texas LHP Jordan Montgomery (8-11, 3.62 ERA)

Thursday, 7:07 p.m. ET / 4:07 p.m. PT: Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (11-8, 3.28 ERA) vs. Texas RHP Nathan Eovaldi (11-4, 2.90 ERA)

All games on Sportsnet and SN NOW.

Latest on the Blue Jays

The Blue Jays (80-63) completed a three-game sweep of the visiting Kansas City Royals with a come-from-behind 5-2 victory on Sunday.

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Back-to-back walks and three consecutive wild pitches by previously red-hot Royals starter Cole Ragans allowed the Blue Jays to tie it at 2-2 in the sixth.

Kevin Kiermaier then homered in the seventh to put the Blue Jays in front for good.

Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios was strong, giving up two runs on five hits and two walks in seven innings.

The lone late-game disappointment was closer Jordan Romano needing 28 pitches to work out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth. That means he’s unlikely to be available for much work, if any, on Monday.

Latest on the Rangers

The Rangers (78-64) won consecutive games for the first time in September with a 9-4 win over the visiting Oakland A’s on Sunday.

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Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, a Blue Jay during an excellent 2021 season before signing a seven-year, $175-million deal with Texas, had his second two-homer game in his past four on Sunday.

Semien leads the AL with 166 hits and 109 runs scored. He has 24 homers and 87 RBIs.

Semien set a Rangers record with his eighth leadoff homer of the season on Sunday.

“He’s a good hitter,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters. “They get in the zone. He’s been in a nice one here lately with the home runs. He’s driving the ball. He’s getting his pitch and he’s not missing it.”

Injury Report

The Blue Jays aren’t the only AL playoff contender to be hit hard by injuries recently.

Texas has two All-Stars out: third baseman Josh Jung (left thumb fracture) and outfielder Adolis Garcia (patellar tendon strain).

There is hope both could return later this month.

Eovaldi, Texas’ ace, made two starts last week in his return from the IL with a forearm strain. However, he has been throwing very limited innings — 2.1 innings vs. Oakland and 1.1 vs. Houston

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All-Star catcher Jonah Heim, meanwhile, has struggled since returning from a wrist injury last month.

As for the Blue Jays, All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette returned from the IL in a limited role this weekend and should be all systems go for this series.

Right-handed reliever Erik Swanson (spine) is expected to return Monday after a clean rehab outing with triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.

There’s still no timeline on third baseman Matt Chapman (finger sprain).

Season Series

The Blue Jays lost two of three against the Rangers in Arlington in June.

Gausman (six innings, one run) was good in Toronto’s lone win, a 2-1 triumph.

Dunning (six innings, two runs) beat Toronto 4-2 in a Blue Jays bullpen game before Bassitt had a short 3.2-inning start in an 11-7 loss in the finale.

Big Additions

The Rangers went all-in at the trade deadline, acquiring starters Scherzer and Montgomery from the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively.

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Montgomery is 2-2 with a 4.20 ERA in seven starts for Texas, while Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner, is 3-2 with a 3.63 ERA in seven starts for the Rangers.

The bigger problem for Texas has been its bullpen, which ranks 26th in the majors with a 4.89 ERA.

Out of Town

The Mariners are home to the fading Los Angeles Angels, while the Boston Red Sox, six back of Seattle, host the New York Yankees.

Up Next

The Blue Jays complete a 10-game homestand with a three-game weekend series against the Boston Red Sox.

— With files from The Associated Press

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