Astros at Blue Jays
While the final tally of 22-16 in the Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays' first series of the season indicated each game was relatively close, nothing could be further from the truth. The Astros attempt to carry over the success they enjoyed on their just-completed 10-game homestand starting Friday when they visit the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game set.
Houston crushed Toronto 15-2 and 7-2 in the first two meetings of the season at Minute Maid Park in mid-June before the Blue Jays returned the favor in the finale, getting five homers to support a strong pitching performance from Friday's scheduled starter Trent Thornton in a 12-0 rout. The Astros have dropped five of their last six on the road but are coming off an 8-2 homestand despite Thursday's 9-8 loss to Tampa Bay, ending their six-game winning streak. Houston (87-48) trails the New York Yankees for the best record in the American League and owns a nine-game edge over Oakland in the AL West. Toronto went 18-16 over its first 34 contests following the All-Star break, but the Blue Jays have won only two of their last 10 contests after splitting a two-game set with Atlanta earlier this week.
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), Sportsnet, TVA (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Wade Miley (13-4, 3.13 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Trent Thornton (4-8, 5.34)
Miley is riding a seven-game winning streak following Saturday's victory against the Los Angeles Angels after holding them to one run on five hits over five innings. The former All-Star yielded three earned runs or fewer in 25 of 27 outings this season and has done his best work since the All-Star break, going 6-0 with a 2.84 ERA in nine turns. Justin Smoak is 6-for-16 with two home runs and three RBIs versus Miley, who is 2-7 with a 4.47 ERA in 10 career starts against the Blue Jays.
Thornton is coming off back-to-back no-decisions against Seattle, allowing three runs over six innings at home on Aug. 17 before giving up four runs (three earned) in four frames Friday. The former Astros farmhand began the month with six strong innings in a win at Baltimore but is 0-1 with a 5.95 during a four-game winless spell. Thornton is 1-2 with a 6.90 ERA in seven post-break starts but enjoyed one of his best outings of the season June 16 in Houston, getting the win after firing 6 2/3 scoreless innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Astros OF Yordan Alvarez, who needs only one more home run to tie a franchise rookie record of 22, finished 6-for-12 with two homers, four RBIs and four runs scored in the first series against the Blue Jays.
2. Toronto SS Bo Bichette is one of 14 players in league history to record at least 42 hits in his first 28 games and the first to do it since Yasiel Puig in 2013.
3. Houston SS-3B Alex Bregman has reached base safely in 22 straight games and is batting .407 over that stretch.