Boulter, Draper Knocked Out Of Wimbledon
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
44409475 Large 76766 2024 John Deere Combine S760.webpDeere Booth Copy Sized For Web Start Up Companies Demonstrate John Deere Commitment To Customers Future Needs 4114630 0003 ?mode=crop&404=noimage &thumb=no6399af66085bf Off Itw John Deere 00 00 07 13 John20deere20G520display 2 2000 89156d24b83745689183d69caa4d015b John Deere News Social Share J John Deere Products 2024 John Deere Combine S790.webp2024 John Deere Gator XUV835M ?resize=768%2C713&ssl=1John Deere 0 ?itok=nZMTqPzUMaxresdefault Deere Company.webpJohn Deere Incentives 700 976170ca A664 4983 A50e Ccdbe47e1031 Deere1 ?crop=5515,3149,x0,y229&width=3200&height=1828&format=pjpg&auto=webp2024 John Deere Gator XUV835R ?resize=1024%2C574&ssl=1Maxresdefault Our Dealer Banner John Deere 1023E Tractor 0121 500x351 ?media Id=7920803207946068Ag Dealer R2c016532 JohnDeereBannerPhoto 1 768x768 682018 33881 John Deere Edmonton 3 ?quality=85&strip=all&crop=0px%2C44px%2C1280px%2C676px&resize=720%2C379Prairieland Partners John Deere Dealership Mcpherson Ks DSC04165 Ben 2Burgess And Farol Dealer Expansion ProductLine R4d077906 Rrd Large E0fbbe46ce0c2a2c8baa76bcb823934b7a7eb77b DeereHeaderImage 1000 F 595832597 T6ihSflc7R0IaGnZPbyxtoq1VM2f2xo1 John Deere 1024x683 Bg John Deere Dealership 001 Nils Versemann John Deere Production Precision Ag Backlog 2018 22 700