Yordan Alvarez, Astros sprays the Blue Jays, 15-2

By Chandler RomeHouston Chronicle

Update

23:11 HAC, Friday 14 June 2019

The long wait seems worth it.

Two months of enigmatic and aggravating explanations, whether it is the power of Yordan Alvarez, his defensive stance or his future paychecks, all seem questionable. Alvarez is an Astro, who abuses baseballs in all parts of the field and finds little respite in the unprecedented success that he has experienced in minor leagues.

CHANDLER ROME ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Yordan Alvarez of Astros is definitely worth waiting for

The crushing Cuban hitter took part in Friday's cleanup for the first time as a major player. He annihilated another home run, the third of his first four games in the league.

Alvarez produced three evenings, including two at home in the fourth game, and Robinson Chirinos in six innings to catalyze the 15-2 humiliation of the Blue Jays by Houston at Minute Maid Park.

Alvarez is the first player in the history of Astros to hit a homerun in three of his first four games. Only 20 players in the history of the big leagues have already managed the feat.

AT HOUSTONCHRONIC.COM: Major Mama: the secret of Cavan Biggio's success

All three shots from Alvarez came out of his bat stronger than 108 mph. He caught a single in the right field in front of Aaron Sanchez starting for a four-seam fastball in the first. Defender Derek Law offered a similar pitch in the sixth. Alvarez sprayed in the opposite field, dividing the left middle field gap with a smooth shot.

Between the two singles, there was a two-point shot in the fourth inning that matched Friday's draw against the Blue Jays. Sam Gaviglio served a 2-0 slider who sat and away. Alvarez hit it the other way.

He landed 425 feet apart, bouncing under the railroad track that runs along the left field to pull up the Houston lead at 10.

The Astros have tattooed four home runs against a terrible Toronto squad, one that has little appeal outside of two once-revered player products. And neither Vladimir Guerrero Jr. nor Cavan Biggio are yet able to duplicate their fathers.

The Blue Jays came in with the lowest batting average in the AHL. Among the American League teams, only the Detroit Tigers scored fewer points. Their 0.62 OPS team was third of the last among the major league clubs.

Predictably, Gerrit Cole ran a clinic at their expense. The Astros starter has taken 10 goals out of six two-handed baseball heats. Toronto has touched for three shots in 16 times.

Cole made all but four hits on his fast four-seater, one that reached 99.7 mph in the first run. The first was the only image in which Cole launched without a lead.