TORONTO (AP) 鈥� Hunter Brown pitched six shutout innings, Jeremy Pe帽a and Yordan Alvarez hit home runs and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Monday afternoon for their 10th win in 11 games.
After going 4-0 with a 1.16 ERA in five June starts, Brown (6-5) opened July with another solid outing. The right-hander allowed two hits, both singles. He walked three and struck out five.
鈥淚t couldn鈥檛 happen to a better guy,鈥� Pe帽a said. 鈥淗e prepares really well and he goes out there and competes.鈥�
Decked out in special red jerseys and caps, the Blue Jays lost on the Canada Day holiday for a second year in a row.
After Rafael Montero worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning, the Blue Jays loaded the bases against Bryan Abreu in the eighth. Abreu escaped by getting Daulton Varsho to ground out.
鈥淵ou can have him against the ropes but he鈥檚 going to figure out a way to get people out,鈥� Astros manager Joe Espada said of Abreu. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just Bryan. He鈥檚 so good, his stuff is so explosive.鈥�
Josh Hader allowed a solo home run to Ernie Clement in the ninth but finished for his 13th save in 14 chances.
Clement鈥檚 homer off Hader was his fourth of the season.
Toronto left eight runners on base, twice leaving the bases loaded. They finished 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.
鈥淲e just needed a hit in certain spots,鈥� manager John Schneider said.
The Blue Jays used a single and two walks to load the bases with one out in the second but Brown got Clement to pop up before striking out Kevin Kiermaier.
鈥淭he first two innings I wasn鈥檛 executing at the clip I wanted to,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚 was able to bear down and make some pitches early in an at-bat that kind of forced them to swing at some stuff.鈥�
The Blue Jays have played 36 innings against the Astros this season and scored in just two of them. Toronto won 2-1 on April 2 when Davis Schneider hit a two-run home run off Hader in the ninth inning.
Houston鈥檚 Ronel Blanco threw a no-hitter against Toronto on April 1, and five Astros pitchers combined on a one-hit win over the Blue Jays on April 3.
Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was . Guerrero was hit on the fingers by a 96 mph fastball from Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole in the third inning of Sunday鈥檚 loss to New York.
Toronto right-hander Yariel Rodr铆guez retired his first 14 batters before in the fifth inning for his sixth of the season.
鈥淚 was just looking for a good pitch to hit and put a barrel on it,鈥� Pe帽a said.
Rodr铆guez (0-3) allowed one run and two hits in a career-high 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six.
Alvarez gave the Astros some insurance with a two-run shot off Zach Pop in the ninth. The homer was his 17th.
ROSTER MOVES
Blue Jays: Toronto put catcher Danny Jansen on the paternity list and recalled catcher Brian Serven from Triple-A Buffalo.
TRAINER鈥橲 ROOM
Astros: 2B Jose Altuve got the day off. 鈥� Right-hander Justin Verlander (neck) resumed throwing over the weekend but there is no timetable for his return, Espada said.
Blue Jays: INF Spencer Horwitz moved from second base to replace Guerrero, and Clement came in to play third. 鈥� INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa was scratched from the lineup after his left knee felt sore during pregame warmups. Kiermaier came in to play center, Varsho moved from center to left, and Davis Schneider went from left field to second.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays RHP Jos茅 Berr铆os (7-6, 3.38 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night against Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-6, 5.68).
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AP MLB:
Ian Harrison, The Associated Press
