[ad_1]
TORONTO – (AP) – The Houston Astros continued to roll on the road and found themselves on the brink of their second consecutive title in AL West.
Brian McCann and Josh Reddick hit two consecutive home runs and the Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Monday night to move closer to another division.
The defending World Series champions have reduced their magic number to two against Oakland to win the division. The Athletics, who won 7-3 in Seattle, finished at least one playoff spot when the Tampa Bay lost 4-1 to the New York Yankees.
Already assured of a trip to the post-season, Houston can clinch the title of Al West champion and a playoff game against the Central AL champion in Cleveland, with a win and a loss to Oakland on Tuesday .
"The A's a good team," said southpaw Dallas Keuchel. "We do not expect them to fall without a fight."
Houston has the best baseball road record at 53-22, tying the club mark of last year for the most outdoor wins in a single season.
The Astros have a total of 99-57 and a best result in the league – 17-4 in September.
"Everyone is really excited about winning 100 wins and winning a division title," said MVP Alex Bregman. "But there's only one thing to think about it and it's winning the World Series again."
Keuchel (12-11) allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings for his first win since Sept. 3 against Minnesota. He also reached 200 innings for the third time, having done so in 2014 and in 2015.
"It means more to me now than the first time," said Keuchel.
Five relievers followed by Roberto Osuna, a former Blue Jays defender, were awarded a choir in the ninth, his first appearance in Toronto since being arrested for assault in May. Osuna, who earned his 19th victory on 20 occasions, was traded to the Astros on July 30. In the crowd of 23,463 spectators, each of Osuna's launches was deformed.
"He wanted the ball as he always does," said Astros manager AJ Hinch. "I'm sure it was emotional for him."
Asked about the reaction of the fans, Hinch said that it was "rather expected".
Osuna refused to speak on the advice of her lawyer. His case resumes Tuesday in Toronto.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said it was "odd" to see Osuna on the mound of the Rogers Center wearing a different uniform.
"A kind of mixed emotions but I knew there was a good chance he could probably do it," Gibbons said. "I've seen him do it too often."
In the first meeting between brothers Yuli Gurriel and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., the Houston Yuli opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first.
The younger brother Lourdes sinks in a double game in the lower part of the sleeve, then leaves the game because of a hamstring injury. Yangervis Solarte played third place, Aledmys Diaz passing at the shortstop.
McCann started the second pass of Marco Estrada, his sixth tour of the season and the first since returning from the handicap on September 1, after missing two months due to a right knee injury.
Four shots later, Reddick slammed his 16th. It was the sixth time this season that the Astros were back to back.
Bregman was 4-0 with a RBI double in the third, but the Blue Jays responded with Kevin Pillar's two-point homer in the fourth, his 15th.
Solarte cut to 4-3 with a mere RBI in fifth after a pitching error by third baseman J.D. Davis. Toronto charged the bases without anyone being eliminated, but Keuchel ended his run by hitting Justin Smoak, which made Randal Grichuk the choice of a defensive player, then stoked Pillar.
"It seemed like it was meant to implode there," Keuchel said. "I was just trying to make as many quality shots as possible."
Estrada (7-14) lost its fifth consecutive decision, allowing four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
"The long balloon has had it and it's there that it's vulnerable," Gibbons said.
Estrada served 29 home tours.
WARRIOR OF THE ROAD
Bregman safely reached 52 consecutive road games, the longest sequence in the history of Astros. Jeff Bagwell did it in 51 straight from 1998 to 1999.
TRAINER ROOM
Astros: RHP Charlie Morton, who left Sunday's game after a run due to a painful shoulder, has returned home to be with his wife, who is about to give birth. Hinch said Morton will be re-evaluated when he joins the team in Baltimore this weekend. … SS Carlos Correa (back) has been excluded from the lineup for the fifth consecutive game and is expected to sit again on Tuesday, Hinch said. … Lance McCullers Jr. of the RHP has been activated from the list of disabled people and will be in relief during the last week of the regular season. McCullers has been out since August 4th because of a painful elbow. … The Astros recalled LHP Reymin Guduan from Triple-A.
Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez missed his scheduled start after leaving the team last weekend to have his specialist examine his right index finger. Sanchez missed 54 games earlier this season because of the injury, which occurred when Sanchez's finger was caught in a suitcase a few hours before the start of the June 21 race against the Angels. He has made five starts since returning on Aug. 25.
FOLLOWING
Astros' RHP, Josh James (1-0, 2.81 ERA), will face Tuesday's GVS Blue Jays, Sam Gaviglio (3-8, 5.18). James launched 5 shutouts to beat Seattle for their first career win last Tuesday. Gaviglio is without a win in four starts.
___
More MLB AP: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
[ad_2]
Source link
