Utah Home Debut, Panthers' Party Mark Oct. Start
TORONTO -- — Hunter Brown pitched six shutout innings, Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez hit home runs and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Monday afternoon for their 10th win in 11 games.
After going 4-0 with a 1.16 ERA in five June starts, Brown (6-5) opened July with another solid outing. The right-hander allowed two hits, both singles. He walked three and struck out five.
“It couldn’t happen to a better guy,” Peña said. “He prepares really well and he goes out there and competes.”
Decked out in special red jerseys and caps, the Blue Jays lost on the Canada Day holiday for a second year in a row.
After Rafael Montero worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning, the Blue Jays loaded the bases against Bryan Abreu in the eighth. Abreu escaped by getting Daulton Varsho to ground out.
“You can have him against the ropes but he’s going to figure out a way to get people out,” Astros manager Joe Espada said of Abreu. “That’s just Bryan. He’s so good, his stuff is so explosive.”
Josh Hader allowed a solo home run to Ernie Clement in the ninth but finished for his 13th save in 14 chances.
Clement’s homer off Hader was his fourth of the season.
Toronto left eight runners on base, twice leaving the bases loaded. They finished 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.
“We just needed a hit in certain spots,” manager John Schneider said.
The Blue Jays used a single and two walks to load the bases with one out in the second but Brown got Clement to pop up before striking out Kevin Kiermaier.
“The first two innings I wasn’t executing at the clip I wanted to,” Brown said. “I was able to bear down and make some pitches early in an at-bat that kind of forced them to swing at some stuff.”
The Blue Jays have played 36 innings against the Astros this season and scored in just two of them. Toronto won 2-1 on April 2 when Davis Schneider hit a two-run home run off Hader in the ninth inning.
Houston’s Ronel Blanco threw a no-hitter against Toronto on April 1, and five Astros pitchers combined on a one-hit win over the Blue Jays on April 3.
Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was scratched from the lineup Monday because of pain in his right hand. Guerrero was hit on the fingers by a 96 mph fastball from Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole in the third inning of Sunday’s loss to New York.
Toronto right-hander Yariel Rodríguez retired his first 14 batters before Peña hit a first-pitch homer in the fifth inning for his sixth of the season.
“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit and put a barrel on it,” Peña said.
Rodríguez (0-3) allowed one run and two hits in a career-high 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six.
Alvarez gave the Astros some insurance with a two-run shot off Zach Pop in the ninth. The homer was his 17th.
ROSTER MOVES
Blue Jays: Toronto put catcher Danny Jansen on the paternity list and recalled catcher Brian Serven from Triple-A Buffalo.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: 2B Jose Altuve got the day off. … Right-hander Justin Verlander (neck) resumed throwing over the weekend but there is no timetable for his return, Espada said.
Blue Jays: INF Spencer Horwitz moved from second base to replace Guerrero, and Clement came in to play third. … INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa was scratched from the lineup after his left knee felt sore during pregame warmups. Kiermaier came in to play center, Varsho moved from center to left, and Davis Schneider went from left field to second.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays RHP José Berríos (7-6, 3.38 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night against Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-6, 5.68).
------
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
SQ26T 5e7d897d10b617c4f3572311fefe622c 47ef88bbe2e0d7f3c8e310d6394588fd Canva Photo Editor Img 1825 Jpg.342083Plumbing 1 4 Jpg.453409K4m2f A85a9d8191ee75c930076f8829164946 Af24ad175afb87f4323b6ff3d7206c24 SinkDrain Under Sink Plumbing Diagram E2de720945d41a634a7a6b81f9c7de05 Ql16tbbqxeu41 ?auto=webp&s=30e7762ac3804f4e1cfef07b1be44d489523c42bBathroom Sink Drain Leaking Around The Threads Heres What To Do Parts Of A Bathroom Sink Drain 02 0504130013 S L300 63Ct6lufNfmo9miFjXrVK1U AehOYq0iCrzVG SgWlo ?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=aba0b76c31c1ded17d8a7b849a5a2dd1cbda4300S L400 S L640 T2ik100hq5611 ?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=3740784a3cd8e323bc4ae8811f05101cf1a055e61a6d4202ee582727bc4fdfc0aeb3bcf6 Maxresdefault 63Ct6lufNfmo9miFjXrVK1U AehOYq0iCrzVG SgWlo ?auto=webp&s=1d6f033a701fbe65cb23a976df437a6af9debfbaGufWSUD9QUyo UvnbX3qPKvj7YDZD2aRby6Wijgi3zq CgYPZEQ04AcoYYb9x99HLOBhfuCgq1F1n3uLu3NA Ozieq9ZRDZmjfYj2nrw68hW0HaDOvjW Ewcg9yYYkEWq768EtQFeueDCpSNsA062c81bebc648f8dae69aba18a7296c5 Hqdefault T2ik100hq5611 ?auto=webp&s=19a62528259f6089eb9dc7861e1a2910eec706e6Ee5bee40e05d3b38ed73c1fb8cf50233
Utah Home Debut, Panthers' Party Mark Oct. Start
TORONTO -- — Hunter Brown pitched six shutout innings, Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez hit home runs and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Monday afternoon for their 10th win in 11 games.
After going 4-0 with a 1.16 ERA in five June starts, Brown (6-5) opened July with another solid outing. The right-hander allowed two hits, both singles. He walked three and struck out five.
“It couldn’t happen to a better guy,” Peña said. “He prepares really well and he goes out there and competes.”
Decked out in special red jerseys and caps, the Blue Jays lost on the Canada Day holiday for a second year in a row.
After Rafael Montero worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning, the Blue Jays loaded the bases against Bryan Abreu in the eighth. Abreu escaped by getting Daulton Varsho to ground out.
“You can have him against the ropes but he’s going to figure out a way to get people out,” Astros manager Joe Espada said of Abreu. “That’s just Bryan. He’s so good, his stuff is so explosive.”
Josh Hader allowed a solo home run to Ernie Clement in the ninth but finished for his 13th save in 14 chances.
Clement’s homer off Hader was his fourth of the season.
Toronto left eight runners on base, twice leaving the bases loaded. They finished 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.
“We just needed a hit in certain spots,” manager John Schneider said.
The Blue Jays used a single and two walks to load the bases with one out in the second but Brown got Clement to pop up before striking out Kevin Kiermaier.
“The first two innings I wasn’t executing at the clip I wanted to,” Brown said. “I was able to bear down and make some pitches early in an at-bat that kind of forced them to swing at some stuff.”
The Blue Jays have played 36 innings against the Astros this season and scored in just two of them. Toronto won 2-1 on April 2 when Davis Schneider hit a two-run home run off Hader in the ninth inning.
Houston’s Ronel Blanco threw a no-hitter against Toronto on April 1, and five Astros pitchers combined on a one-hit win over the Blue Jays on April 3.
Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was scratched from the lineup Monday because of pain in his right hand. Guerrero was hit on the fingers by a 96 mph fastball from Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole in the third inning of Sunday’s loss to New York.
Toronto right-hander Yariel Rodríguez retired his first 14 batters before Peña hit a first-pitch homer in the fifth inning for his sixth of the season.
“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit and put a barrel on it,” Peña said.
Rodríguez (0-3) allowed one run and two hits in a career-high 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six.
Alvarez gave the Astros some insurance with a two-run shot off Zach Pop in the ninth. The homer was his 17th.
ROSTER MOVES
Blue Jays: Toronto put catcher Danny Jansen on the paternity list and recalled catcher Brian Serven from Triple-A Buffalo.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: 2B Jose Altuve got the day off. … Right-hander Justin Verlander (neck) resumed throwing over the weekend but there is no timetable for his return, Espada said.
Blue Jays: INF Spencer Horwitz moved from second base to replace Guerrero, and Clement came in to play third. … INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa was scratched from the lineup after his left knee felt sore during pregame warmups. Kiermaier came in to play center, Varsho moved from center to left, and Davis Schneider went from left field to second.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays RHP José Berríos (7-6, 3.38 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night against Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-6, 5.68).
------
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
