Ronel Blanco aims to steady Astros in crucial Game 3 matchup with Blue Jays
BLANCO ON THE BUMP
03 July 2024
BLANCO ON THE BUMP
Houston Astros (43-42, second in the AL West) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (39-46, fifth in the AL East)
Toronto; Wednesday, 7:07 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Ronel Blanco (8-3, 2.49 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 84 strikeouts); Blue Jays: Yusei Kikuchi (4-8, 4.18 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 93 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Astros -113, Blue Jays -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Toronto Blue Jays host the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
Toronto is 21-22 in home games and 39-46 overall. The Blue Jays have a 27-15 record in games when they record eight or more hits.
Houston has a 19-23 record on the road and a 43-42 record overall. Astros hitters have a collective .322 on-base percentage, the second-ranked percentage in the AL.
Wednesday’s game is the sixth meeting between these teams this season. The Astros hold a 3-2 advantage in the season series.
TOP PERFORMERS: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads the Blue Jays with a .298 batting average, and has 18 doubles, 13 home runs, 39 walks and 50 RBI. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is 16-for-38 with three home runs and four RBI over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Blue Jays: 4-6, .248 batting average, 5.69 ERA, outscored by six runs.
Astros: 8-2, .293 batting average, 3.70 ERA, outscored opponents by 27 runs
INJURIES: Blue Jays: Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 10-Day IL (knee), Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: day-to-day (finger), Yimi Garcia: 15-Day IL (elbow), Jordan Romano: 15-Day IL (elbow), Alek Manoah: 15-Day IL (elbow)
Astros: Jake Bloss: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Victor Caratini: 10-Day IL (hip), Justin Verlander: 15-Day IL (neck), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (forearm), Kyle Tucker: 10-Day IL (shin), Jose Urquidy: 60-Day IL (forearm), Oliver Ortega: 60-Day IL (elbow), Bennett Sousa: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Penn Murfee: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Garcia: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lance McCullers Jr.: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kendall Graveman: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Christian Walker homered twice, capped by a tiebreaking solo shot in the eighth inning to lift the Houston Astros to a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.
ANOTHA ONE. pic.twitter.com/ZSotUshBrA
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 28, 2025
The game was tied 3-3 with no outs when Walker sent the first pitch from Luis Peralta (1-2) into left center field. Walker also homered in the first inning to make this the 15th multi-homer game of his career.
Oppo for Walker! #BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/ZUt9Q1Qcco
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 28, 2025
Jose Altuve also homered for the Astros, who won a second straight after dropping the series opener.
GOATuve. pic.twitter.com/CMeDnExsOj
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 28, 2025
The Rockies had a chance to take the lead when they loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh. Jordan Beck reached on a catcher’s interference call on César Salazar, but Kaleb Ort struck out Brenton Doyle to leave everyone stranded.
Bryan King (4-3) threw a scoreless eighth for the win and Bryan Abreu allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth for his fourth save.
Altuve and Walker hit back-to-back homers with two outs in the first inning to put Houston up 2-0. Mauricio Dubón scored on a bunt single by Salazar to push the lead to 3-0.
The Rockies loaded the bases with one out in the third and made it 3-1 when Mickey Moniak grounded into a force out that sent a run home.
Ezequiel Tovar homered into the seats in right field with two outs in the fourth.
Yanquiel Fernández tied it when he belted his second homer this season to right field in the fifth.
Walker’s second home run.
MLB.com's Brian McTaggart caught up with Walker after the big win.
A clean-shaven Christian Walker led the Astros to a razor-thin win over the Rockies pic.twitter.com/wvE1n6hXMv
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 28, 2025
The Rockies left 10 men on base.
Colorado RHP Germán Márquez (3-11, 5.67 ERA) is expected to come off the injured list Friday to oppose RHP Cade Horton (8-4, 2.88) in the opener of a three-game series against the Cubs.
Houston RHP Cristian Javier (1-1, 5.40) opposes LHP Tyler Anderson (2-8, 4.73) when the Astros open a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels Friday night.