'Not Like Us': DeMar DeRozan Has A Cameo In Kendrick Lamar's Music Video
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
5 Latest House Designs E1553183640101 1024x689 Ai Min Myhq Workspaces ZMK4lzeuCLo Unsplash GUID C5961710 7169 4B75 95F1 6FD11EAC56BD ?url=https Media.imgcdn.org Repo 2023 03 Zwcad Architecture 645a06ef0b210 Zwcad Architecture Screenshot1 &w=1920&q=75Eden Housing Thomas Heatherwick Studio Singapore Dezeen 2364 Sq 2 Arch2O 10 Emerging Architectural Trends To Keep An Eye On In 2023 Scaled ZWCAD Architecture 2024 1652302308815ICON HouseZero Exterior A PhotoCredit CaseyDunn ?fit=max&w=1140&q=60&auto=format&auto=compress&cs=strip&h=569150957fed8d27b076b18ba49443a22a2 5cda38608087e81bb84598d684b108ba Architectural Trends Coming In 2023 109d075e453beb6006e1d24d87b47ba8 14770 600x60050fb04dd097b6971a7ce736f15549f14 5 CAO Saint Denis VenhoevenCS Ateliers234 LR Coru2024 Social 1200x630 BLOG Top10KitchenTrends2023 1567920496 Zwcad Architecture 1 Aca667f1d8a161356c07956cf66645e5 12 Architecture Events To Pay Attention To In 2023 5 ?167001552509 BIG ARC Copenhill Image By Rasmus Hjortshoj 1024x891 8fce07d70ecc7a7a1a6d0dda341af8ab 748420 746403fca3254eb4bc23b9e2b50a4546~mv2 380c645b5242e177295365672df431ee The 23 Most Anticipated Projects Of 2023 2 ?16728451644a9e878484b09b6f54262b30e5b4f406 2132de28444232f5fda12bcd733ac8af 5 16 23 1500 42e625031c69d2e269a85603d37814f9 2bb3897f120d2a7e16c981fe2a344a92 Da8ac6af995f7db6c4c8685e8ce66f4c Trends In Architecture 2023 Media Library Original 550 309 292fd5f22351708d379782b8bd18f507.JPG