Houston looked dominant against Toronto
Astros explode at the plate, Greinke tosses a complete game in win over Blue Jays
Jun 4, 2021, 9:09 pm
Houston's offense couldn't stop scoring Friday night. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
Houston's offense couldn't stop scoring Friday night.
After finishing their recent homestand by winning four of the final five games, the Astros took to the road, starting with the opener of a three-game set in Buffalo against the Toronto Blue Jays Friday night. Houston began the scoring and never looked back, clobbering Toronto to back up Zack Greinke, who tossed a complete game on the mound in the win.
Final Score: Astros 13, Blue Jays 1
Astros' Record: 32-25, second in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Zack Greinke (6-2)
Losing Pitcher: Hyun Jin Ryu (5-3)
Houston blows it open in the middle innings
After three quick scoreless innings to start the game, the Astros were able to start the scoring in the top of the fourth against Hyun Jin Ryu. It came after a leadoff single by Aledmys Diaz, who advanced to second on an error, went in to score on an RBI double by Yordan Alvarez to grab a 1-0 lead. Jose Altuve notched an RBI in the next inning, getting a sac fly to double the lead to 2-0. Carlos Correa added another in the next at-bat, launching a solo homer to extend the lead again, 3-0. Houston loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth, and with two outs, Martin Maldonado blew the game open with a grand slam, Houston's first of the season, to make it a 7-0 ballgame.
Break the game wide open, @Machete1224. pic.twitter.com/FvxSpb8eFX
— MLB (@MLB) June 5, 2021
Astros keep scoring
Meanwhile, Zack Greinke was cruising along against Toronto's offense. He allowed just one hit through the first three innings and didn't allow a runner to reach scoring position until a single and walk in the fourth put two runners on, which he would both strand. He followed that with back-to-back 1-2-3 frames in the fifth and sixth as his team built up the lead behind him.
Aledmyz Diaz sent another ball over the fence in the top of the seventh, a solo homer to push the lead to 8-0. Greinke returned to the mound in the bottom of the inning and allowed his biggest mistake of the night, as Randal Grichuk destroyed a ball 459 to center field to get the Blue Jays on the board. Houston got that run back and more in the top of the eighth, sending ten batters to the plate and getting five runs on six hits, including RBIs by Maldonado and Altuve and another homer by Carlos Correa, a three-run blast to make it 13-1.
Greinke goes all the way
Greinke kept going in the bottom of the eighth, retiring Toronto in order once again. Despite the significant lead, his pitch count was in great shape, allowing him to return in the bottom of the ninth to finish things off. He did so, erasing a two-out single to get his first complete game since the 2017 season, the seventeenth of his career, to wrap up Houston's victory. Greinke's final line: 9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 102 P.
Up Next: Houston will get a chance to lock up another series win with the middle game of this series starting at 2:07 PM Central on Saturday. Jose Urquidy (4-2, 3.02 ERA) will look to get the victory for Houston, while Toronto will send Ross Stripling (1-3, 5.11 ERA) to the mound.
Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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