Gausman pitches 4-hitter, Varsho hits 3-run homer and Blue Jays beat Rangers 7-3

TORONTO (AP) —

Kevin Gausman pitched a four-hitter for his third complete game in 280 major league starts. Daulton Varsho had four RBIs that included three-run homer and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers 7-3 on Saturday.

Gausman (9-8) won his third straight start and joined Atlanta's Max Fried as the only pitchers with two complete game this season. Gausman, who pitched a five-hit shutout at Oakland on June 8, struck out eight, walked three and threw 118 pitches, his most since 2016. He threw 81 pitches for strikes.

It was the 20th complete game in the major leagues this season and the first nine-inning complete game against Texas since the Los Angeles Angels' José Suarez on Sept. 4, 2021.

Marcus Semien tripled in the first inning and scored on a wild pitch, and Wyatt Langford hit an RBI double in the third and scored on Adolis García's single. Semien scored twice but Texas lost its second straight after a five-game winning streak.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three of Toronto's 15 hits and scored three runs. Alejandro Kirk had three hits and drove in a run for the Blue Jays, who won consecutive games for the first time since July 10 and 11 at San Francisco.

In a rare start at third base, Guerrero made a diving stop on Marcus Semien's eighth-inning grounder and threw to first for the out. Guerrero tipped his cap and Gausman raised his arms after Blue Jays right fielder George Springer made a diving catch to retire García in the ninth.

Michael Lorenzen (5-6) got just two outs and allowed four runs and five hits, throwing 40 pitches to nine batters,

Lorenzen retired his first two batters but his next seven reached safely. Guerrero and Justin Turner singled, Varsho hit his 12th homer and Ernie Clement added an RBI single. Varsho added an eighth-inning sacrifice fly off Dane Dunning.

Kirk made it 5-3 with an RBI single off José Ureña in the fifth, and Spencer Horwitz hit a sacrifice fly off Dunning in the sixth.

PEARSON TRADED

Toronto traded RHP Nate Pearson to the Cubs for two minor leaguers, SS Josh Rivera and OF Yohendrick Pinango.

ROSTER MOVES

RHP Ryan Burr was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo and RHP Jordan Romano (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day IL.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: LHP Ricky Tiedemann, a top prospect, will have Tommy John surgery Tuesday, manager John Schneider said.

UP NEXT

RHP José Berríos (8-8, 4.08 ERA) is scheduled for the Blue Jays in Sunday’s series finale. RHP Jon Gray 5-4, 3.73) goes for Texas.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb