Massive Crowds In And Around Wankhede To Greet Indian Team
TORONTO -- — Mauricio Dubón hit a tiebreaking single in the fifth inning, Jeremy Peña added a solo home run and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Thursday for their 12th win in 14 games.
"I feel like the team has good vibes right now,” Peña said. “Everyone is showing up with a job to do, which is show up, compete, and win the game. I feel like we’re all on the same page.”
Framber Valdez pitched six innings to win his third straight start as the Astros extended their team-record Fourth of July winning streak to seven.
Yordan Alvarez reached base four times and scored a run as Houston won the four-game series 3-1.
“Our goal is to finish this first half strong and playing our best,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “I feel like we’re there right now. We came out here and we took care of business.”
The Blue Jays have lost 12 of 16.
“Got to pick yourself up and keep going,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. "There’s no giving up, there’s no quitting."
Peña went 2 for 4 with a walk and scored twice. He extended Houston’s lead with a solo homer off Trevor Richards in the seventh inning, his seventh of the season. Peña also homered in Monday’s series opener.
Valdez (7-5) allowed three runs and nine hits. He walked two and struck out four.
“It started not his best but he settled down very nicely,” Espada said.
Tayler Scott pitched the seventh, Ryan Pressley worked the eighth and Josh Hader finished for his 14th save in 15 chances.
Both teams scored three runs in a first inning that produced eight hits and two walks.
Yainer Diaz opened the scoring with a bases-loaded groundout and Jon Singleton followed with a two-run single off Toronto right-hander Chris Bassitt.
Toronto answered with five hits against Valdez in the bottom half. Two runs scored on a bases-loaded single by Spencer Horwitz and Alejandro Kirk added an RBI double.
Peña hit a one-out single in the fifth, advanced on a groundout and scored on Dubón’s single to center.
Bassitt (7-7) allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings to lose for the first time since May 17 against Tampa Bay.
The Blue Jays used a walk and an infield single to put two runners on in the bottom of the fifth, but Astros third baseman Alex Bregman started an inning-ending double play on Danny Jansen’s grounder.
Houston turned five double plays Thursday. Bregman was involved in three, including an unassisted double play to end the first where he caught Ernie Clement’s liner and tagged Horwitz.
“I’ve been playing with him since 2022 and every day on defense he seems to amaze me,” Peña said of Bregman. “He makes plays that I don’t see people make.”
Toronto put the tying run at third base with one out in the sixth but Valdez finished his outing by getting Kirk and Clement to ground out.
The Blue Jays intentionally walked Alvarez to load the bases with two outs in the fourth. Diaz fouled out to end the inning.
“I tell you what, it’s tough to pitch to him right now,” Espada said of Alvarez. “I don’t blame Schneider for intentionally walking him. Right now he’s on fire.”
Alvarez was hit by pitches in the sixth and ninth innings.
ROSTER MOVES
Blue Jays: Jansen was activated off the paternity list and catcher Brian Serven was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: Shortstop Bo Bichette was scratched from the lineup because of a right forearm contusion. The two-time AL hit leader struck out on a pitch that hit him in the arm on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Astros: Espada said RHP reliever Shawn Dubin will start Friday’s game at Minnesota. RHP Pablo López (8-6, 4.88 ERA) is scheduled for the Twins.
Blue Jays: RHP Kevin Gausman (6-7, 4.75 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday against Mariners RHP Luis Castillo (6-9, 3.87) in the opener of a three-game series at Seattle.
------
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
F6af8ffee3d2b0863ead49a2de447fdb 8 Best One Hole Kitchen Faucet For 2023 1692752385 Untitled Design 2022 06 09T145515.762 51jaO J1XFL. AC UL960 QL65 51kRkk4rCWL. AC UL960 QL65 Hole Pitch 96mm 128mm Single Knob Modern Handle Kitchen Cabinet Handle Drawer Pulls Ivory Color 31vSshMzpwL. SL500 Aa58c6e1 4398 4ae2 969a 65b9bcc3f8e3 1.4bcffb93c7690b26e9cd46f246534a1a Fdbe6a86 2ae9 453e 80d7 7f371009147c 1.36bd3377c3bbdb6e65c0831b38a3e78f C9013b7bf0dded106d0790bf98752ef4 175948d254d67dabacd57f5770b8c41b 31a60f2c5e1edc9b32d519dae01a0a8a Cabinet Hardware Size Brown Kitchen 1536x1152 Contemporary Cabinet And Drawer Handle Pulls 77bdf346d590e59df09fee0307f3177d 8e78710564714f2988c3cf74f60bd3f9 Mceu 29691336641665651783104 Fbaf 70d4 080374c2fac4093b271a65eaffe65ab4 71iMvOOigkL. AC SL1500 Kitchen Hardware Trends 51pxyYElQuL. AC UL960 QL65 714asx8BvNL. AC SL1500 Hole C C 128mm 160mm 224mm Aluminum Alloy Kitchen Furniture Pulls Solid Wardrobe Handle Drawer Handle 944 305BG Residential Essentials 10208ap 797323 Sw 1 Cd9504ed 9854 4e33 A5bf 1fa3dc4c4184 700x700 Iap 300x300.5513336657 Nwj2p3xi ?version=0Iap 300x300.5198655541 5pl29qew ?version=0A2a8cd759b0ce1317c40a6fabbafbd6d Iap 400x400.5183532941 Ko5qjezi ?version=01e4a8f28ac650550da2f7a4692cdb2a0 Fc83ef1f96882d77a9be2bcfec9c07bf A5cc46d014b82525e8 Single Knob Hole CC 96mm 128 160mm 192mm 224mm Space Aluminum Handle Kitchen Furniture Pulls Wardrobe 4 Inch Center Hole Cabinet Pulls