TORONTO (Interstat) — The Texas Rangers used a five-run fifth inning and a strong early start from right-hander Cal Quantrill to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 on Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre, extending their winning streak in the series to three games in front of 41,657 fans in a game that lasted 3 hours, 14 minutes.

Texas improved to 41-42 with the win, while Toronto fell to 39-44. The Rangers have won three consecutive games against the Blue Jays after taking the first two of this four-game set by scores of 5-4 and 6-5 on Thursday and Friday.

Rangers left-hander Peyton Gray earned the victory, working 2 1/3 innings of relief, allowing one hit and no earned runs while striking out four. Gray, now 3-0 on the season, took over in the sixth inning. Tyler Alexander collected his third save by pitching a scoreless ninth inning, surrendering no hits and striking out none.

Blue Jays starter Dylan Cease took the loss, falling to 4-4. Cease allowed six runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings, walking four and striking out seven. The Rangers tagged him for five runs in the fifth inning to break open a 1-0 game.

Texas struck first in the opening inning. With two outs, Corey Seager walked and Brandon Nimmo walked before Jake Burger singled to center field, scoring Seager and sending Nimmo to third. The rally ended when Alejandro Osuna lined out, leaving the Rangers with a 1-0 lead.

Quantrill, making the start for Texas, shut down the Blue Jays over the first four innings. The right-hander allowed just two hits and no runs while striking out five, retiring the side in order in the second and fourth innings and working around a leadoff walk in the first.

The game turned in the fifth. After Joc Pederson struck out to start the inning, Josh Jung walked and Seager struck out. Nimmo then singled to right, putting runners at first and second. Burger followed with a sharp ground ball single to left, scoring Jung and moving Nimmo to second. Ezequiel Duran walked to load the bases, and Osuna lined a single to center that scored Nimmo and Burger, sending Duran to second. Elias Díaz then doubled to right, clearing the bases and scoring Duran and Osuna, giving the Rangers a 6-0 lead. Diaz’s double was his fifth of the season.

Toronto answered immediately in the bottom of the fifth against Joe Ross, who had relieved Quantrill after the fourth. Ernie Clement led off with a double, his 21st of the season, and Yohendrick Piñango homered to right center, his fifth, cutting the lead to 6-2. Andrés Giménez singled, but the Blue Jays could not capitalize further as Ross induced a forceout and a fielder’s choice before striking out Daulton Varsho and Kazuma Okamoto to end the inning.

The Rangers added an insurance run in the sixth when Seager led off with a solo home run to right center, his 10th of the season, extending the lead to 7-2.

Toronto mounted another rally in the bottom of the sixth, again against Ross. Alejandro Kirk led off with a solo home run to left, his second of the season, making the score 7-3. Sean Keys singled, and Ernie Clement singled to put runners at first and second. Piñango grounded into a double play, but Keys advanced to third. Giménez then singled to right, scoring Keys to bring the Blue Jays within 7-4. Nathan Lukes singled, putting runners at first and second, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out sharply to shortstop to end the inning.

Gray entered in the bottom of the seventh and retired the side in order, striking out Varsho, Okamoto and Kirk. He worked a 1-2-3 eighth as well, striking out Piñango among his four total strikeouts.

Alexander closed out the ninth, inducing a groundout from Myles Straw, a lineout from Luis Urías and a groundout from Guerrero Jr. to end the game.

Jake Burger led the Rangers’ offense with three hits in five at-bats and two RBIs. Osuna also had two hits and two RBIs, going 2 for 4 with a walk. Corey Seager homered and drove in one run, finishing 1 for 4 with a walk. Josh Jung doubled and scored once. Nicky Lopez had one hit in four at-bats.

For the Blue Jays, Ernie Clement collected two hits, including a double, and scored once. Alejandro Kirk homered. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts. Daulton Varsho had no hits in four at-bats.

Texas finished with 11 hits, Toronto with 10. The Rangers left nine runners on base, the Blue Jays left seven.

The Rangers’ win completed the first three games of a four-game series and sends them to Cleveland for a three-game set beginning Monday. Toronto will host the Rangers again Sunday before welcoming the New York Mets for a three-game series starting Monday.

The Rangers have won four of their last five games overall, while the Blue Jays have lost four of their last five.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Toronto Blue Jays 5, Texas Rangers 4, and the ELO system gave Toronto a 56.90 percent probability to win. Toronto was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of 11 runs went under the over/under line of 7.5.