Rangers at Blue Jays
The Texas Rangers snapped a four-game slide and moved back above .500 with a win on Sunday but their postseason hopes are fading as they enter the second full week of August. The Rangers will try to keep hope alive and put a winning streak together when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.
Texas sits nine games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the race for the second American League wild card with 45 games to play but will play 17 of its next 21 games against teams with sub-.500 records as it tries to make up some ground. The Blue Jays are well out of the race but are getting encouraging performances from a trio of promising rookies, even when they don't result in hits or runs. "I've never seen somebody hit a double-play ball and get a standing ovation from the fans," Toronto manager Charlie Montoya told reporters of rookie Vladimir Guerrero Jr. battling Yankees star closer Aroldis Chapman for 13 pitches in a pinch-hitting appearance on Sunday. "That at-bat by Vladdy against the best closer in baseball was awesome to watch. I love the way we're playing. It's pretty cool. It took Chapman 27 pitches to get three young guys (Guerrero, Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio) out. That was pretty cool." The Rangers will send Ariel Jurado to the mound against that trio of youngsters on Monday while the Blue Jays counter with Neil Ramirez.
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Ariel Jurado (6-7, 4.74 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Neil Ramirez (0-1, 5.40)
Jurado turned in his best start in over a month on Wednesday at Cleveland but ended up with a loss after yielding two runs and three hits in seven innings. The 23-year-old Panama native surrendered a total of 16 earned runs in 20 innings over his four previous starts. Jurado worked an inning of relief at home against Toronto on May 3 and suffered the loss after surrendering an unearned run on a pair of hits and a walk.
Ramirez will appear for his seventh major league team after being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday. The 30-year-old made 16 appearances out of the bullpen for Cleveland earlier this season before being released and signed to a minor-league deal by Toronto last week. Ramirez, who made one relief appearance for Buffalo after being signed, will be making his first major league start and owns a 10.80 ERA in four career appearances against Texas.
WALK-OFFS
1. Blue Jays closer Ken Giles (elbow) is expected to avoid the injured list.
2. Texas CF Delino DeShields went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts on Sunday.
3. Bichette reached base safely in each of his first 14 career games.