Blue Jays at Astros
The Houston Astros will try to finish off another successful homestand on a good note when they aim for a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. The Astros have taken the first two meetings of the set by a combined score of 22-4, improving to 5-2 on the homestand and 27-10 on the year at Minute Maid Park.
Rookie Yordan Alvarez was 3-for-4 in Saturday's 7-2 win while becoming the fourth player in Major League history with at least four home runs in his first five games. Josh Reddick also went deep for Houston, which is 19-7 all time against Toronto at home. The Astros will try to keep it a one-sided matchup behind right-hander Brad Peacock on Sunday, while the Blue Jays counter with rookie Trent Thornton. Toronto is 5-17 over its last 22 games and has given up at least six runs 14 times during that stretch.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, Sportsnet One, OMNI, TVA (Toronto), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Trent Thornton (1-5, 4.78 ERA) vs. Astros RH Brad Peacock (6-3, 3.42)
Thornton has completed no more than five innings in each of his last three starts, going 0-1 with a 6.14 ERA in that span. He has issued exactly three walks in four consecutive outings and given out 34 free passes in 69 2/3 innings on the season. The 25-year-old, who has never faced Houston, owns a 3.49 ERA in seven road starts.
Peacock got the win against Milwaukee his last time out despite giving up four runs - his highest total in more than a month - over 6 1/3 innings. He also allowed a season-high two home runs in the outing, just the sixth and seventh he has surrendered in 71 frames this year. The 31-year-old Florida native is 3-0 despite a 4.79 ERA in his career against the Blue Jays.
WALK-OFFS
1. Alvarez is 8-for-17 with eight RBIs, eight runs and six walks since being called up.
2. Blue Jays rookie 2B Cavan Biggio is 4-for-12 with two homers, one double, four RBIs and four runs over his last three contests.
3. Toronto activated RHP Nick Kingham and optioned LHP Thomas Pannone to Triple-A Buffalo.