Russell Martin hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning, Aaron Sanchez pitched seven innings to get his first win in his last three starts and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Astros 4-2 Saturday, stopping Houston’s winning streak at four. Toronto and Baltimore are the only teams in the majors to boast four hitters with 20 or more homers.
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The Blue Jays tacked on three more runs in the eighth on an RBI single by Melvin Upton Jr., a bases-loaded walk to Donaldson and a sacrifice fly by Encarnacion.
“Good for Eddie”, manager John Gibbons said”.
Toronto has hit 166 home runs this season, second to Baltimore.
Martin followed it up by taking Fiers’ first pitch yard for his 10th homer of the season – it marks the seventh time this season the Blue Jays have hit back-to-back home runs. NY sold several veterans at the trade deadline and is turning to youngsters such as hulking outfielder Aaron Judge, who joined Joe Lefebvre (1980) on Sunday as the only Yankees to homer in their first two major league games.
He had not allowed more than two runs in his previous eight starts, a span in which he went 5-0 with a 1.67 ERA.
“We often go the way he goes”, manager A.J. Hinch said.
If Halladay gets the call from Cooperstown down the line, he confirmed Sunday that he would join Roberto Alomar as only the second baseball Hall of Famer to go in wearing a Blue Jays cap. The veteran shortstop finished the day 3 for 4 with three runs batted in. He hit an RBI single in the first, singled and scored in the fourth, and homered in the fifth. “It seemed like he was sitting on it”.
He has faced Toronto once this season, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out seven in six innings to take the loss August 4.
“(Fiers) went with the fastball, it leaked over the plate and Tulo did some damage with it”, Hinch said. He stayed in game the game to run the bases before being replaced by Tyler White at first base in the bottom of the second. As soon as I saw (Teoscar Hernadez) running back, it didn’t look like he was going to catch it that was good enough.
In the third, Encarnacion was hit on the left hand by a pitch from Fiers. The right-hander has surrendered five home runs in his past two outings.
“I was confident in the pitch” Hoyt said. “A couple of swings and the game is changed”.
Coincidence? Nonetheless, here is a list of those Blue Jays who have been hot since the All-Star break, along with those who haven’t. Dave Stieb, Pat Hentgen, Roy Halladay, Juan Guzman, Tom Henke and Duane Ward were all in attendance.
Martin’s homer was his 10th of the season. The first to do it were Corey Koskie (25) and Justin Morneau (19) for Minnesota in 2004.
Astros: OF Jake Marisnick (right groin) missed his fourth straight game.
Cuban infielder Yulieski Gurriel, who signed a five-year, $47.5 million deal with Houston on July 16, is expected to make his major league debut against St. Louis on Tuesday. Houston is off Monday. Marcus Stroman (8-5, 4.76 ERA, 3.87 FIP, 1.31 WHIP). Keuchel pitched a three-hitter against Texas on August 5. He entered play Friday batting.321 with one home run and nine RBIs in eight games at three minor league levels. Veteran R.A. Dickey goes for the Blue Jays in the opener against the Yankees, who are 4 1/2 games back in the AL wild-card race after a 12-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday.
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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jason Grilli reacts after striking out Houston Astros’ A.J. Reed to end the top of the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, in Toronto.
