Hyun Jin Ryu, #99 of the Toronto Blue Jays, pitches during the first inning against the Texas Rangers in game one of a doubleheader at Sahlen Field on July 18, 2021 in Buffalo, New York.Bryan Bennett/Getty Images
Danny Jansen hit a solo home run, left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu pitched seven strong innings and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Texas Rangers 5-0 Sunday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader in Buffalo.
The Blue Jays have won the first two games of the three-game series.
The doubleheader of two seven-inning games was necessary after the game on Saturday was rained out. The Blue Jays won the opener 10-2 on Friday night.
Ryu (9-5) allowed three hits and one walk while striking out four in pitching the complete game.
Texas left-hander Koby Allard (2-7) allowed five runs, seven hits and one walk in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out one.
Ryu worked around Joey Gallo’s leadoff triple in the second inning and survived a walk and a single in the third.
The Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. led off with an infield single, took third on Santiago Espinal’s double and scored on Marcus Semien’s groundout to third. Bo Bichette added an RBI single.
Allard pitched around a walk and an infield single in the fourth.
Jansen led off the fifth with his fifth home run of the season.
After walking Nate Lowe with two out in the third inning, Ryu retired eight straight batters before Lowe doubled to left with one out in the sixth. Ryu worked out of the inning with two groundouts.
The Blue Jays added two runs in the bottom of the sixth. George Springer singled, took third on Teoscar Hernandez’s single and scored on Randal Grichuk’s sacrifice fly. Josh Sborz replaced Allard and allowed Gurriel’s run-scoring groundout.
Toronto called up infielder Breyvic Valera on Sunday, optioned outfielder Jonathan Davis to Triple-A Buffalo and designated left-hander Nick Allgeyer for assignment. Davis stayed with the Blue Jays for the doubleheader as the 27th man.
Texas called up right-hander Demarcus Evans from Triple-A Round Rock to be the 27th man for the doubleheader.