Vernon Wells hits 3-run homer, Blue Jays connect 3 times and beat reeling Rangers 7-2

Wells, Hill & Escobar homer, Blue Jays beat Texas

TORONTO — Vernon Wells hit a three-run homer, Aaron Hill had a two-run shot and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Texas 7-2 Monday, handing the reeling Rangers their seventh loss in nine games.

Yunel Escobar added a solo drive for Toronto, which leads the majors with 211 homers.

Tommy Hunter (12-3) struggled early as the AL West-leading Rangers lost their fourth straight. Texas has lost six in a row to Toronto since a win on opening day, getting outscored 48-24 in that span.

Ricky Romero (12-8) allowed one run and seven hits in seven innings. Shawn Camp pitched the eighth and Brian Tallet gave up Michael Young’s RBI double in the ninth.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the second when John Buck struck out on a wild pitch with two outs, allowing him to reach base and letting Wells score from third.

The Blue Jays broke it open with a five-run third. Dewayne Wise singled, Jose Bautista walked and Wells lined his 25th home run. Lyle Overbay then doubled and Hill connected for a drive to left, his 23rd homer and second in as many days.

Vladimir Guerrero doubled and scored on David Murphy’s single in the fourth, but Escobar restored the six-run cushion with a solo drive in the seventh.

Toronto has gone deep in eight straight games, hitting 16 homers in that stretch.

Hunter, who had won his previous three starts, allowed seven runs and seven hits in seven innings.

In the seventh, a male fan was struck on the shoulder by a falling piece of metal when a foul ball off the bat of Bautista dislodged part of a Jackie Robinson sign screwed into the facade of the third deck. The fan was treated with ice packs and returned to his seat.

Notes: Texas purchased the contract of INF-OF Esteban German from Triple-A Oklahoma City and designated INF Alex Cora for assignment. … Hill started for Toronto despite leaving Sunday’s game at New York with a sore right knee. … Rangers OF Josh Hamilton (bruised ribs) said he felt better Monday but was not yet ready to return to baseball activities. … Texas SS Elvis Andrus (right hamstring) will not play before Wednesday and will likely miss the entire four-game series on Toronto’s artificial surface, manager Ron Washington said. … Toronto OF Fred Lewis (right elbow) missed his fourth straight game.

(This version CORRECTS Blue Jays 7, Rangers 2. Corrects to 16 home runs in 8th paragraph.)