Justin Verlander throws a no-hitter
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 2 hits from the 2-0 win
Sep 1, 2019, 2:37 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
With Toronto taking the middle game on Saturday, Houston looked to get back in the win column and take the series win with a victory on Sunday. Here is a recap of the series finale against the Blue Jays which started the final month of the regular season:
Final Score: Astros 2, Blue Jays 0.
Record: 89-49, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Justin Verlander (17-5, 2.56 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Ken Giles (2-3, 2.05 ERA).
1) Verlander throws third career no-hitter
While the Blue Jays pieced together a quality bullpen day which kept the Astros' offense in check, it was Justin Verlander shutting down Toronto on the other side. Verlander was effective and efficient, working his way to another double-digit strikeout start after seven innings while throwing 93 pitches.
He added three more in the bottom of the eighth, striking out the side in order, keeping the Blue Jays without a hit and sending the scoreless game to the ninth. After his offense scored two runs in the top of the ninth, Verlander returned to the mound in the bottom of the ninth to finish things off.
He would do so, recording another 1-2-3 inning and completing his third career no-hitter. Verlander's final line: 9 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 14 K, 0 HR.
2) Toro comes through in the ninth
Meanwhile, Houston's offense was not able to string together enough offense to score any runs through the first eight innings. With their pitcher at thirteen strikeouts and no hits through eight, Houston was desperate to back Verlander up with a run to try and complete a historic day.
Alex Bregman led the top of the ninth off with a double and would move to second on a one-out fly out, then scored on a two-run home run by Abraham Toro off of former-Astros Ken Giles to score the first two runs of the game and finally give Verlander some run support. Those two runs were the difference, lifting Houston over Toronto to take the series win.
Just hold on we're going home 🇨🇦#TakeItBack pic.twitter.com/cBxfZMqJhNÂ
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 1, 2019
Up Next: The Astros will take a short trip to Milwaukee for a quick two-game series starting Monday with a Labor Day matchup with the Brewers at 3:00 PM. The Astros will have Gerrit Cole (15-5, 2.85 ERA) on the mound going against Adrian Houser (6-5, 3.52 ERA) for the Brewers.
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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Roman Anthony lined a fly ball over drawn-in center fielder Chas McCormick’s head to score the automatic runner from third, and the Boston Red Sox rallied in the 10th inning to beat the new-look Houston Astros 2-1 on Friday night.
Boston trailed 1-0 on Christian Walker’s second-inning home run before tying it in the seventh on Wilyer Abreu’s sacrifice fly.
With Abreu starting the bottom of the 10th on second base, Ceddanne Rafaela tried unsuccessfully to bunt him to third before swinging away -- and hitting the ball just a few feet in front of the plate. Catcher Yanier Diaz tried to get Abreu at third, but his throw was late.
Anthony lined a 2-2 pitch to center. McCormick ran after it and it flew just beyond his glove for what was scored as a walk-off single.
Greg Weissert (4-3) pitched a perfect 10th for the win as the Red Sox won for the fifth time in six games to reach a season-high nine games above .500.
Bennett Sousa (5-1) failed to get an out in picking up his first career loss.
Christian Walker homered, Hunter Brown took a shutout into the seventh inning and Jeremy Peña had three hits for Houston. Trade deadline acquisition Jesús Sánchez had two hits and Carlos Correa went hitless in his return to the team that picked him No. 1 overall in 2012 and re-acquired on Thursday the AL West-leading Astros loaded up in their quest for a ninth straight postseason appearance.
Key moment
In the top of the 10th, the Astros had a runner on third with one out when Mauricio Dubón hit a grounder to short and Trevor Story threw home to keep the go-ahead run from scoring.
Key stat
Bregman, who played his first nine years in Houston, singled in each of his first two career at-bats against the Astros.
Up next
Red Sox RHP Walker Buehler (6-6) will face Astros LHP Colton Gordon (4-3) on Saturday.