A six-foot-five righty picked 46th overall, Musgrove was dealt to Houston in 2012 in a 10-player transaction which saw J.A. Happ end up in Toronto for the first time.
Advertisement
Sanchez is already at a single-season career high with 152.1 innings pitched and the Blue Jays want to ensure he will still have enough in the tank for a post-season run, provided they get there.
Russell Martin clubbed a three-run homer in the sixth inning on Saturday, powering the Blue Jays to a 4-2 victory over the Astros.
Just when it seemed as though the Toronto Blue Jays were about to squander another stellar outing from Aaron Sanchez, his catcher provided a badly-needed breakthrough hit.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Francisco Liriano throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. He allowed three home runs among his five hits and was charged with four runs. Liriano, acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 1, struck out four. George Springer has 121 hits with 84 runs, 23 homers and 68 RBI. He took Will Harris deep in the ninth inning for his 32nd home run of the season. “Thank God for 300”.
“I never thought I was going to get there”, Encarnacion said of the milestone through an interpreter.
The Jays had a half-game lead atop the American League East Division heading into games on Friday. The Jays tracked down the ball for Encarnacion who said he would give it to his father. “He has a good arm and he is a strike thrower”.
Teoscar Hernandez, in his major-league debut, led off with a walk.
Liriano walked two batters and both came around to score.
The best hitter in the majors, Jose Altuve, then lined out to Josh Donaldson, who made a terrific leap to his backhand to rob Altuve, hitting.365 going into the game, from extra bases.
Carlos Correa hit a two-run double in the first as the Astros had three straight opposite-field hits.
Astros DH Evan Gattis had four hits, including two doubles.
Toronto tied the score 2-2 in the fourth when Saunders sent a 93 miles per hour sinker from Musgrove over the wall in left-centre. Saunders had hit 19 with the Seattle Mariners in 2012. It was initially ruled a double that would have scored Reed, who led off with a double.
Houston regained a two-run lead in the fifth. Springer singled to lead off and the next batter, Bregman, doubled. He threw out the otherwise unstoppable Jose Altuve for the second consecutive day, nabbing the MVP candidate with a strong, accurate throw.
The Astros increased their lead to 5-2 in the sixth. It was his first hit in the big leagues. With two out and the count full, Hernandez homered to left field. Left-hander Brett Cecil replaced him and walked George Springer to load the bases before Alex Bregman flied out to right to end the inning.Musgrove was a supplemental first-round pick by Toronto in 2011 and went to Houston in a 10-player trade that brought left-hander J.A. Happ to the Blue Jays in July, 2012.He was called up from Triple-A Fresno and struck out eight in 4 1/3 innings of relief in his major league debut August 2 against Toronto.Pat Neshek replaced Musgrove and pitched a ideal eighth.Scott Feldman pitched around two infield hits and a walk to leave the bases loaded in the top of the ninth.Correa hit a two-run single up the middle to give the Astros a 2-0 lead in the third.It scored Hernandez and George Springer, both of whom had walk Bregman loaded the bases with a single and Altuve lined out to third before Correa drove in his 79th and 80th runs of the season.The Blue Jays scored once in their half of the third.
Advertisement
Brett Cecil pitched two-thirds of the eighth and Scott Feldman hurled the ninth for Toronto.
