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Toronto Blue Jays' shortstop John McDonald (L) tags out Texas Rangers' base runner Endy Chavez trying to steal second base during the first inning of their MLB American League baseball game in Toronto July 31, 2011. REUTERS/Mike CasseseMike Cassese/Reuters

Right-hander Brandon Morrow struck out a season-high 11, Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer and new Blue Jay Colby Rasmus had a two-run double as Toronto defeated the Texas Rangers 7-3 on Sunday.



On the day when new Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar had his No. 12 uniform retired by the Blue Jays, Morrow (8-5) retired 10 Rangers in a row from the second to the fifth innings and Rasmus had his first two hits since coming to Toronto in a trade with St. Louis last Wednesday.



Morrow allowed six hits, two walks and two runs over seven innings in front of a sell-out crowd of 45,629, as the Blue Jays (55-53) won the rubber match of the three-game series and took the season series from the Rangers (61-48) 6-4.



The Blue Jays scored seven runs, five earned, on seven hits against Rangers starter C.J. Wilson (10-5) in 3 2/3 innings.



The Jays when up 2-0 in the first when Encarnacion hit his ninth homer of the season with Jose Bautista on second through a walk and a wild pitch. Encarnacion played first base with Adam Lind given the day off.



The Blue Jays scored an unearned run in the second which began with shortstop Andres Blanco's throwing error on Jose Molina's routine grounder. Molina wound up at second, took third on Aaron Hill's groundout and scored on John McDonald's single, a sinking liner that centre fielder Endy Chavez just failed to catch. McDonald started at shortstop because Yunel Escobar had the day off.



Rasmus ended his 0-for-14 drought since joining the Blue Jays when he hit a single to left to start the third. He took second when left-fielder Josh Hamilton was charged with an error after the ball bounced past him. Rasmus took third on a wild pitch, Bautista walked and Encarnacion bounced into a double that allowed Rasmus to score.



The Blue Jays bumped the lead to 7-0 in the fourth.



J.P. Arencibia, starting at designated hitter with Molina behind the plate, smashed a single past third baseman Michael Young to score Hill for a 5-0 lead. Hill had reached first base with one out on an infield hit, took third on McDonald's groundout on a good play by Young.



Rajai Davis doubled Arencibia to third and Rasmus doubled them home.



The Rangers scored twice in the sixth on a single by Hamilton, a double by Young over the head of right-fielder Eric Thames and a single by Mike Napoli.



Texas scored once in the eighth after Hamilton doubled against left-hander Trever Miller and Napoli doubled against Casey Janssen.



Notes: Ricky Romero (8-9, 3.08 earned-run average) will face the Rays' David Price (9-9, 3.76) Tuesday when the Blue Jays open a three-game series at Tampa Bay after Monday's day off. ...Right-hander Koji Uehara who was obtained by Texas from Baltimore in a trade on Saturday pitched the seventh on Sunday. The Rangers gave up infielder Chris Davis and right-hander Tommy Hunter for Uehara. ...Mark Teahen who was acquired by Toronto on Wednesday's three-team trade grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth for Encarnacion in his first at-bat as a Blue Jay and took over at first base.



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