ASTROS DEFEAT ORIOLES

Blanco throws 7 strong innings and McCormick homers twice as Astros beat Orioles

Astros Yordan Alvarez, Chas McCormick, Yainer Diaz
Astros defeat the Orioles, 5-1. Composite Getty Image.

Ronel Blanco pitched seven strong innings and Chas McCormick homered twice to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.

Yordan Alvarez added a two-run shot to help Houston extend its winning streak to four games.

Blanco (8-2), who threw seven hitless innings in his last start, allowed four hits and a run with three strikeouts for his third straight win.

Alvarez put the Astros on top with his 16th homer, which came off Corbin Burnes (8-3) in the third, and McCormick made it 4-1 in the fifth. McCormick got his fifth career multihomer game when he connected again in the eighth.

Burnes allowed five hits, including a season-high two homers and a season-most four runs in seven innings to snap his career-best streak of 10 consecutive quality starts. He was 5-0 in seven starts since a loss at Washington on May 7.

Jordan Westburg homered in the second for the Orioles, who set a franchise record with 21 straight games with a home run to surpass the 1998 squad's 20-game streak.

Baltimore had troubled stringing hits together Saturday after scoring 28 runs combined in the last two games. The top four batters in their order combined to go 1 for 13 against Blanco and Houston's bullpen.

Ryan Pressly threw a scoreless eighth before Josh Hader struck out two in a perfect ninth to end it.

Westburg connected off Blanco with one out in the second to put the Orioles up 1-0.

Yainer Diaz opened Houston’s second with a triple on a line drive to right field. The Astros tied it when he scored on a sacrifice fly by Mauricio Dubón with one out.

McCormick singled with no outs in the third and the shot to center field by Alvarez came with two outs to put Houston on top 3-1.

McCormick’s home run to the seats in left field extended the lead to 4-1 with one out in the fifth.

Cedric Mullins tripled off the wall in center with one out in the seventh. Colton Cowser hit a sharp line drive, but was robbed of a hit when shortstop Jeremy Peña made a leaping catch for the second out. Blanco then retired Ramón Urías to end the inning and leave Mullins stranded.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: RHP Jake Bloss, who made his major league debut Friday night, was placed on the injured list with right shoulder discomfort.

ROSTER MOVES

Astros: RHP Nick Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday night. ... LHP Bryan King was selected to the MLB roster and RHP Luis Contreras was recalled from Sugar Land on Saturday. … RHP Alex Speas was designated for assignment.

UP NEXT

Houston LHP Framber Valdez (5-5, 3.91 ERA) opposes RHP Albert Suárez (3-1, 2.05) in the series finale Sunday.

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Crucial elements at play as Astros look to sweep Blue Jays

Ronel Blanco kept Toronto off balance all night. Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images.

Jeremy Peña and Christian Walker each had three hits and an RBI, and the Houston Astros cruised to a 5-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

The Blue Jays were held to two hits for the second straight game.

Houston took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Peña scored José Altuve on an infield single and Walker followed with a hit to score Yordan Alvarez. Peña scored on a sacrifice fly by Brendan Rodgers.

Toronto ace Chris Bassitt (2-1) settled in after the first, allowing four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. Bassitt entered with the second-best ERA in the majors at 0.77, which was the second lowest for a Toronto pitcher’s first four starts of a season.

Nathan Lukes homered in the third for Toronto, which has lost four straight games.

Astros starter Ronel Blanco (2-2) allowed two hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings. Last year, Blanco threw a no-hitter against Toronto in his first start of the season on April 1.

Isaac Paredes homered for Houston in the seventh to cap the scoring.

Houston has won four of its last five.

Key moment

Houston’s first two hits were infield singles, but Walker’s RBI single to center field scored a run and put Alvarez in position for a sacrifice fly to follow.

Key stat

Walker went 3 for 3 following a rest day on Monday. The Astros newcomer entered Tuesday hitting .156 and was mired in a 3-for-26 slump in his previous eight games.

Up next

Blue Jays RHP Bowden Francis (2-2, 3.13 ERA) will face Astros RHP Ryan Gusto (2-1, 3.18 ERA) in the series finale on Wednesday night.

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