ASTROS DEFEAT BLUE JAYS
Yordan Alvarez homers twice, Astros shut out Blue Jays
Apr 4, 2024, 9:55 am
Astros take the series two games to one. Composite Getty Image.
Yordan Alvarez homered twice and matched his career high with four hits, Cristian Javier and four relievers combined on a one-hitter and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 on Wednesday night.
To the moon, Yordan!!🚀 pic.twitter.com/eb78rrANaD
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 4, 2024
Javier (1-0) allowed the only hit and pitched five innings. Seth Martinez, Rafael Montero, Tayler Scott and Dylan Coleman worked an inning each.
It’s the second game in the series where the Blue Jays were shut out after Ronel Blanco threw the 17th no-hitter in franchise history in a 10-0 victory Monday night.
It was a breakout night for Alvarez, who entered Wednesday having hit just three singles in the first six games. It was the 16th career multi-homer game for the Cuban and the sixth time he’s had four hits.
Unleash the beast!🤯 pic.twitter.com/g0B1Sirbx0
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 4, 2024
“It was a matter of time,” manager Joe Espada said. “Anytime he can put some good swings like that and and hit some balls hard and it’s a good sign and that's exactly what we needed.”
Alvarez said there was a simple reason why he broke out Wednesday.
“I (used) last year's bats,” he said in Spanish through a translator.
Though he had two home runs, he thought two other balls he hit were going to leave the park.
“Yeah,” he said. “Welcome to Minute Maid.”
Alvarez, who added an RBI double in the fourth, homered off Chris Bassitt (0-2) in the third and connected off Tim Mayza in the sixth.
The Astros tagged Bassitt (0-2) for nine hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings in his second tough start to open the season after he allow 10 hits and a career-high nine runs in his season debut.
Daulton Varsho doubled with one out in the second for Toronto’s only hit. The Blue Jays walked seven times but couldn’t get anything going at the plate.
“We’re not doing much damage on balls we’re putting in play right now,” manager John Schneider said. “That’s kind of been the story of this series. It’s good pitching. So, you want to do a little bit more but you move on.”
Jeremy Peña hit a two-run homer and Jose Altuve added a solo shot in the seventh to make it 8-0. Peña had two hits and drove in three runs in his fourth multi-hit game this season. It was the second straight game with a homer for Altuve and his third this season.
There was one out in the third when Alvarez, who hit 31 homers last season, knocked one to the bullpen in right-center to put Houston on top 1-0.
Altuve walked with two outs in the fourth before scoring on a double by Alvarez to extend the lead to 2-0.
Chas McCormick and Peña hit consecutive RBI singles with one out in the fifth to make it 4-0.
The second homer by Alvarez came to start the sixth and extend the lead to 5-0. The shot landed in the seats behind the bullpen in right-center.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: RHP Alek Manoah (right shoulder soreness) threw a three-inning simulated game in Florida Tuesday. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said the next step will likely be for Manoah to make a rehabilitation start for Single-A Dunedin Sunday.
Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (right shoulder inflammation) will throw a bullpen in Houston Thursday before making the first of what is expected to be two rehabilitation starts for Triple-A Sugar Land Sunday.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-1, 6.23 ERA) will face New York RHP Marcus Stroman (1-0, 0.00) in the opener of a three-game series against the Yankees on Friday.
Astros: RHP Hunter Brown (0-0, 0.00) opposes Texas RHP Cody Bradford (1-0, 3.60) in the first of four games against the Rangers on Friday night.
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NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.