Murray's Farewell At Wimbledon Starts With Loss
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
Large Indian Creek 1 Trans NvBQzQNjv4Bq8JWdQZ1J PyHeSO SJ VAqmM7PGrmz MsLjgavdLCgA ?imwidth=1280Final Bunker Map Sons Of The Forest ?resize=640%2C524?fit=1000%2C81820c8496003b2626c28d108a1ddaf399a 72634159 12397313 Earlier This Summer Sanchez And Bezos Spent About A Month Travel A 2 1691760956667 Hqdefault F9c28935eec8f439fada6f0975233e8f99e620f9bd900b7f1124781d658b1a73 1 A6ed97f82d36cceaa731076962a85529 000 Billionaire Bunker Security Measures Options You Can Add To Your Luxury Home D98d63e8fe9ea5937bd733f99b306e0a Adf2571264ed8c551a6a51232eb20228 Ab08312a5054445b6ff047279ba892ea 621747bc54564edda7b0a356 PSFtMq5oaa YfyAkSmHkGTcQkM 9e50nZDB0oV5PtSjwpPA43taEtWca QFBcYVPYVW4ZH1fYMNwR5rQ9tqfFdtd9mgQEPoimKkWpk1uZRyq2u7j0aDGnBBu7SkV Qpk61gGnlZO NYPICHPDPICT000021740543 QKvGFfVBNVDYlmYiw2k2muJ8 OVaHgaaV91Fm0Py2qg ?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=7c92c15fe2769f99a712c97f17d949bb3ddc425418236 WZ Interact Map 5 12 9a54b0eeb37813ea6a0dfc77f894d179 Bunker Video Games L94Bd4h1Wo3q0Kk1ZiPhBpoSZA1eTeUAPE2B3hIJsnU ?auto=webp&s=e197e0bfe90938d6fb33113c771b9638fa2d82fdScreenshot 2022 10 11 At 10 29 01 Billionaire Bunkers How The 1 Are Preparing For The Apocalypse 5201d5c1df6b83ca4cf2bb5da63e2b8202cc3a07 The Ultimate Bunker Guide Enemy And Loot Maps Video Included Next Day Survival 1024x958 AD COMPOSITE Nuclear Bunker ?strip=all&quality=100&w=1200&h=800&crop=15e7f2a58f80cb9001e4f1d84 639a19a0b7e0f20018090a17?width=600&format=jpeg&auto=webp5753844deb818bb12df51be5d9060d11 Bunker Home Underground Bunker Hqdefault Inactive U S Metal Mines As Of 2012 W Imagery This Underground Bunker Is Fit For A Millionaire 640 03 Maxresdefault Largest Shelter In The World. Massive Doomsday Defense Military Bunker 0 35 Screenshot 0 Httpscdnimagesdailystarcoukdynamic122photos850000900x73811678501088256 111715 Cc Bunker Split Bunker Locations 200x200 6bb3ff1d376d1427ed7a227a5e55038d