Cup Champion Montour Signs Contract With Kraken
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
Coco Republic Interior Design North Sydney Nsw 012 1 Coco Republic 2021 Brand Shoot March Killcare 023 1 1 A9c10876b7384c0ceab1fedd869f7779 Coco Republic 2021 Brand Shoot May Mosman 022 1 06b13fd8f0e375ef18ffd7106eafdcfd9cb431497db3184773f405646ecace0b 181361c8a450cbccb4ef8152e81c225f Fdd2bbfe5347ebff6d482c24e96f0a56 64bb1df3cdfa0256cdd4123aee44df2d 0b427be8e92b606be6a53a611090c88c Coco Republic 2021 Brand Shoot March Killcare 010 2 93becd19c73e28945de3c02d0689c8de Mhp Coco Republic 92 E789f482af54959e47e0ce5b1ef12007 Coco Republic Catalogue Block4 6 01fdf3f25637157617cd6a943ec89c81 Coco Republic Catalogue Block3 6 Coco Republic 2021 Brand Shoot May Mosman 019 851517108 13 V1642147321252 ?3000x4500F846cf07cbbb5e6d58c841fa63bde619 Coco Republic Category Banners Square 1 1 58bf41ed0e687a50637c375925b8dbcc Coco 40b125afb6fe220b92fb05e356916c46 6b54e68f390a9898812cb649b4e37d62 Coco Republic 2020 Brand Shoot Dec Vaucluse 007 V1665709875167 ?1000x1300GG COR007 August2023 1883 HR V1701892737224 ?1200x1200Coco Republic Product Content Block 009 V1698181104045 ?1000x1000Coco Republic Byron Bay Brand Shoot Sep 2022 080 2 Hover Image 1 V1697826998643 ?1200x1200Coco Republic Brand Shoot Paddington Lindfield Mar 2022 Webres 015 2 V1702580748720 ?750x750GG COR007 August2023 2809 HR V1695424262613 ?1200x1200Coco Republic Palm Springs Brand Shoot Aug 2022 189 1 V1697063087300 ?1200x1200Lifestyle V1698252139913 ?1000x1000Ee8fde2f00d7c36db67c57cca2cde419 Coco Republic 2020 Brand Shoot Sep Dover Heights 003 V1698251955720 ?1000x1000Coco Republic Oregon Rust Velvet Furniture Modular Sofa 02 Fd2af936 C83c 4538 9881 5c1b94e653fa ?v=1703027521&width=768
Cup Champion Montour Signs Contract With Kraken
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
