ARLINGTON, Texas — Ian Desmond’s three-run homer sparked a four-run seventh inning for the Texas Rangers in their 7-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday in a game that was marred by a benches-clearing brawl in the eighth inning.
The Rangers are now a season-high six games over .500.
The Rangers trailed 6-3 going into the seventh before scoring four times to take the lead, with Desmond’s homer off Jesse Chavez (0-1) capping the scoring.
The brawl came in the next inning after Jose Bautista was hit by a Matt Bush pitch. Bautista slid late into second base on a Justin Smoak grounder and went into Texas second baseman Rougned Odor. Odor then punched Baustista in the face and both benches cleared. A double play was called for Bautista’s illegal slide, and Bautista, Odor, Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson and Texas bench coach Steve Buechele were ejected following the scrum.
Toronto manager John Gibbons, who had been ejected earlier in the game, also went on the field during the brawl that took place in the outfield.
In the bottom of the eighth, Chavez hit Prince Fielder and both benches emptied again with order getting quickly restored. Chavez and Toronto bench coach Demarlo Hale were both ejected for that.
The brawl overshadowed a wild game in which Toronto scored four times in the top of the sixth to take a 5-2 lead, with a three-run double from Bautista the big blow.
Bush (1-0), who made his major-league debut Friday, was the winning pitcher after two hitless innings of work.
Neither starter was effective, with Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez giving up six runs in 6 2/3 innings. Texas spot starter Cesar Ramos went 4 1/3 innings. Sam Dyson picked up his second save with a perfect ninth.
NOTES: Texas LHP Cesar Ramos started a four-game stretch in which the Rangers are slated to start left-handers in all four games. It would be the first time Texas has started four-straight lefties since 1973. … With his walk-off homer Saturday, Texas OF Drew Stubbs has hit 5.5 percent of his career homers in extra innings. That’s the second-highest percentage among active players with at least 50 home runs. … Texas C Bobby Wilson is the first player to have his first two homers of the year go for grand slams since Pittsburgh’s Ike Davis in 2014. … Toronto LHP Brett Cecil, who had some tightness in his left triceps, was put on the 15-day disabled list. He will undergo an MRI on Monday. The club called up RHP Dustin Antolin to take Cecil’s roster spot. … Toronto’s bullpen leads the majors in losses with 12. … The grand slam allowed by Toronto RHP Marco Estrada on Saturday snapped a streak of 40 1/3 innings without allowing a homer for the Blue Jays’ staff.