Euro 2024: Schedule, How To Watch, Squads, Groups, Reaction
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
Taco Bell Menu Prices 1000 F 173887558 5I6PeCO3muSPVc8w3V23nRp1kvt4JdsE A3fa9c35e0d85fe88c7a6af8a441efbe Cln7zarsvgqhdjmetenfdgphpi7po8v5jmoebozwpmx88cfbewmrrqlji6tzu0hd ?1506953386&s=8c11ccf71b35a8c1aaec38d0fcd89d9dCuzgulyn4e3xgnercwfmvi5vqt6ekvmkb5h5dms1xh2geyskgr7jy0mmxz69ojw1 ?1491376193&s=24818c6b21f97011b70b37b17d1bc5bcFast Food Price Menu Template Sample Download E560ddeb81fb27b99998b526d0e6a44c C085e77e92d0132ebad853f657c29604 KFC Menu Prices 1200x675 3176399858 958cac8f47 B Fast Food Restaurant Menu Sketch Template Vector 17811818 1828380273422 !bw700Cuzgulyn4e3xgnercwfmvi5vqt6ekvmkb5h5dms1xh2geyskgr7jy0mmxz69ojw1 ?1491376193&s=24818c6b21f97011b70b37b17d1bc5bcA116ab25bf6bb3dd919dd0df64814053 Canva Yellow Fast Food Restaurant Menu XxQsdbvo8Cs Modele De Menu De Restauration Rapide Pour Le Restaurant Ou Le Cafe Fastfood Liste De Prix Vectorielle Pour Hot Dog Et Frites Pizza Ou Cheeseburger Et Hamburger San 2eenmyp Pngtree Vector Illustration Design Menu Fast Food Restaurant. Png Image 3562382 B2de1933445c810b5010272775a3189d Fast Food Restaurant Menu Design 1121361 Vector Cartoon Illustration Design Fast Food Restaurant Menu 1441 334 Fast Food Menu Mcdonalds Menu Large Mcdonalds Menu 0d3f17b773e7ab65793d5c4b4136f940 News 5515 Menú De Comida Rápida Boceto Precio Restaurante O Bistró Pizzas Y Donuts Para Hamburguesas Perritos Calientes Patatas Fritas 189119368 C76b02f80589719ad8ca98038d80b489 Ff8fd5fd82f45a174a8fa24870f2d26f 64b79f6a 9598 48f8 9146 578898fc2cdc Menu Restaurant Numerique Au Format Horizontal 52683 45248 091312lunchmcdonalds 1280x720 Bb48e8ca014ac2f96f0f5ef9b7be8610