Varsho and Guerrero homer to help Blue Jays sweep Rangers. Gray leaves without throwing a pitch

TORONTO (AP) — Daulton Varsho homered in the first inning for the second straight game, José Berríos pitched seven sharp innings to snap a three-start winless streak and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers 7-3 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of the defending World Series champions.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a solo home run, his fifth in nine games since the All-Star break, and drove in a pair as the Blue Jays earned their second sweep of the season. Toronto swept a three-game series against the White Sox from May 27-29.

Josh Smith hit a two-run homer but Texas lost its third straight after winning the previous five. The Rangers were swept for the fifth time, all on the road.

“You’re going to hit bumps in the road,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “This is a tough one.”

Rangers right-hander Jon Gray left without throwing a pitch after feeling discomfort in his right groin while warming up for the bottom of the first inning.

“It’s the worst,” Gray said. “It feels like a bad dream. It’s ridiculous.”

Gray was on the 15-day injured list from May 22 until June 7 because of a mild right groin strain. He said this injury felt different than the previous one.

“I couldn’t really get my leg up off the ground trying to warm up,” Gray said.

The Rangers, who got just two outs from starter Michael Lorenzen in Saturday’s 7-3 loss, brought in right-hander Jonathan Hernández to pitch in Gray’s place.

Hernández (3-1) allowed five runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings, including Varsho’s two-run homer in the first.

“It’s kind of like spring training a little bit, where you don’t really know who you’re facing,” Varsho said. “You just pick a little video, pick a little of the report and be able to go have a competitive at-bat.”

Guerrero hit a one-out homer in the third, his 19th.

After left-hander Jacob Latz got four outs and allowed one run, Lorenzen took over in the fifth and retired the side on 14 pitches.

Lorenzen pitched the final four innings, permitting one run and three hits.

Bochy said Lorenzen came to him and volunteered to pitch after Gray exited.

“I can’t say enough about what he did,” Bochy said. “That’s quite a job he did to pick us up.”

Lorenzen threw 40 pitches Saturday before being replaced, then 55 on Sunday.

Berríos gave up one run and six hits, improving to 7-2 with a 2.99 ERA in 11 home starts. He’s 2-6 with a 4.99 ERA in 11 road starts.

“He had good fastball command,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “When he’s doing that it sets up his other three pitches.”

Smith went down in pain after fouling a pitch off his left knee in the eighth, but finished his at-bat against left-hander Génesis Cabrera with a two-run homer, his 11th.

Cabrera got two outs before right-hander Zach Pop retired Jonah Heim to end the eighth, stranding two runners. Pop finished in the ninth for his first career save.

ROSTER MOVES

Toronto recalled C Brian Serven from Triple-A Buffalo. The Blue Jays traded C Danny Jansen to Boston on Saturday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: OF Kevin Kiermaier (hip) stayed in the game after crashing into the wall while trying to catch Wyatt Langford’s double in the fifth. Kiermaier singled in the bottom half and was replaced by pinch-runner Steward Berroa.

UP NEXT

Rangers: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (7-4, 3.31 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday as Texas visits St. Louis. RHP Andre Pallante (4-4, 3.92) pitches for the Cardinals.

Blue Jays: Toronto begins a four-game series at Baltimore with a doubleheader on Monday. RHP Yariel Rodriguez (1-3, 3.69 ERA) will start Game 1 for Toronto and RHP Bowden Francis (3-2, 5.82) will be called up from Triple-A to start Game 2.

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

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Genesis Cabrera throws to a Texas Rangers batter in eighth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Genesis Cabrera throws to a Texas Rangers batter in eighth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Justin Turner runs out a single against the Texas Rangers in seventh-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

From left to right, Toronto Blue Jays Daulton Varsho, Addison Barger and Stewart Berroa celebrate after their victory over the Texas Rangers in a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Spencer Horwitz throws to first to put out Texas Rangers catcher Johan Heim in second-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jonathan Hernandez throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter in first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Barrios throws to a Texas Rangers batter in first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Texas Rangers' Marcus Semien hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays in first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Barrios writes on the mound prior to a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jonathan Hernandez throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter in first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jon Gray, center right, exits with an undisclosed injury before throwing a single pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Barrios throws to a Texas Rangers batter in first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho runs the bases after hitting a two-RBI home run against the Texas Rangers in first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Ernie Clement hits a double agains the Texas Rangers in first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 28, 2024. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Former Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González has left the South American country after seeking asylum in Spain, according to a senior Venezuelan official.

The surprise departure by the candidate who Venezuela’s opposition and several foreign governments consider the legitimate winner of July’s presidential race is a serious blow to efforts to unseat President Nicolás Maduro and comes just days after the government ordered his arrest.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said in a message posted on Instagram that González, who has not been seen since the election, had sought refuge in past days at Spain's embassy in Caracas. She said the government decided to grant González safe passage out of the country to help restore “the country's political peace and tranquility.”

Neither González nor anyone from Venezuela's opposition has yet to comment.

González, a 75 year old former diplomat, was a last minute stand in when opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was banned from running. Previously unknown to most Venezuelans, his campaign nonetheless rapidly ignited the hopes of millions of Venezuelans desperate for change after a decade long economic freefall.

While Maduro was declared the winner of the July vote, most western governments have yet to recognize his victory and are instead demanding that authorities publish a breakdown of votes. Meanwhile, tally sheets collected by opposition volunteers from over two-thirds of the electronic voting machines indicate that González won by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

The tally sheets have long been considered the ultimate proof of election results in Venezuela. In previous presidential elections, the National Electoral Council published online the results of each of the more than 30,000 voting machines but the Maduro-controlled panel did not release any data this time, blaming an alleged cyberattack mounted by its opponents from North Macedonia.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab, a staunch Maduro ally, sought González's arrest after he failed to appear three times in connection to a criminal investigation into what it considers an act of electoral sabotage.

Saab told reporters that the voting records the opposition shared online were forged and an attempt to undermine the National Electoral Council.

Experts from the United Nations and the Carter Center, which at the invitation of Maduro’s government observed the election, determined the results announced by electoral authorities lacked credibility. In a statement critical of the election, the U.N. experts stopped short of validating the opposition’s claim to victory, but they said the voting records it published online appear to exhibit all of the original security features.

FILE - Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez waves to supporters during a political event at a square in the Hatillo municipality of Caracas, Venezuela, June 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)