Blue Jays thump Cardinals 7-2 [Video]

Jose Berrios admitted the way the Toronto Blue Jays season was evolving had him down in the dumps. But a midseason pep talk with family turned around his year.

Berrios (16-9) won his seventh straight start, allowing only two hits and a run over seven innings in the Blue Jays 7-2 win against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.

“I talked with my family, my father, my brother,” Berrios said. “I wanted to be a leader on this team.”

The win streak is the third longest in Blue Jays’ history behind Roy Halladay’s 11 straight in 2003 and Roger Clemens’ eight in a row in 1997.

Berrios, who walked two and struck out four, agreed that having an extra day of rest in six of his last eight starts has helped his late-season surge. Toronto manager John Schneider has another view.

“I think he has a really good ability to …