The right-handed pitcher gave the team 6 innings of two-run ball, striking out 7 batters and only allowing 5 hits, while he limited the Toronto Blue Jays the Astros would still fall 4-1.
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Left-hander Francisco Liriano (6-11, 5.46 ERA) follows Happ in the rotation, making his first start with the Blue Jays on Friday night in Kansas City against the Royals. It was the fourth consecutive game – and the fifth time in the last six – in which the Jays’ starter allowed just one run, going back to Happ’s last start, Saturday’s 9-1 victory over Baltimore.
Josh Donaldson hit two home runs, and Marco Estrada threw seven solid innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Astros 3-1 on Wednesday night.
It’s thanks to their rotation that they took three of four games from the Astros here in Houston this week, despite scoring just 10 times in the entire series.
Happ allowed one run on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts.
The Royals meanwhile are in the midst of an ugly stretch and are eight games back of the second wild card spot in the American League and while it isn’t over yet it is looking very likely that they won’t repeat as World Series champions. He allowed seven hits (including two home runs), one walk and four runs in six innings against Texas, his longest outing of the season.
“We’re to a point with our bullpen – if we could get to a four-out save – we might have used Kelvin (Herrera) there”, manager Ned Yost said after the game Thursday. Each and every one of them has come on a solo home run.
“I think you just need to watch him and let him go out and pitch before you jump the gun”, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. Devon Travis continued swinging a strong bat and doubled to centre to lead off the game. Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.
All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve is hitting.421 with five homers, 13 RBIs and a.684 slugging percentage since the break. Altuve followed with an RBI double to cut the lead to 3-1. Toronto DH Edwin Encarnacion, who belted a solo homer on Thursday to extend his hitting streak to seven games, recorded five hits to help his team sweep Kansas City last month.2. I said to myself I wasnt going to put the go-ahead run on and made a decision to let Biagini try to work out of it..
The deadline trade to acquire him from the Pittsburgh Pirates is a gamble.
“The biggest thing is input from different people after something was more concrete, or closer to it, and the fact that Francisco Liriano was so open to everything”, Atkins said.
The Blue Jays maximized an infield single from Russell Martin, who advanced to second base on a wild pitch and reached third when Troy Tulowitzki slapped a single to left.
Marwin Gonzalez, who had missed the past four games with a right hand injury, had a double in the sixth.
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The Astros (56-51) continue to scuffle offensively, scoring just 20 runs over their last nine games.
