Martin hits 3-run HR, Blue Jays beat Astros 4-2

The Houston Astros have won four straight after dropping six of their seven previous games, and they had an injection of youthful enthusiasm to thank for that in Friday night’s 5-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. It was more in line, however, with a season-long struggle (6-12, 5.40 ERA).

“It means a lot, obviously”, said Osuna.

Musgrove pitched seven innings for his first major league win and Hernandez hit a home run for his first career major league hit.

It was Martin’s ninth home run of the year, so he’s not close to the pace he set last year when he homered 23 times, but he has quietly hit well in recent months, raising his season on-base percentage to.332, well above the Major League Baseball average of.321. He is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA this season in one start against the Blue Jays this season, allowing three runs in six innings on August 3.

“Good for Eddie”, manager John Gibbons said”.

The Blue Jays traded Musgrove to the Astros in July 2012, as part of a nine-player deal that sent left-hander J.A. Happ to Toronto.

Sharp over the first two innings, Liriano’s control slipped away as he scuffled in the top half of the third. Liriano issued a one-walk to George Springer, and Alex Bregman singled to give Houston three baserunners. He took Francisco Liriano deep in the sixth inning for his first major league home run and then later reached on an infield single in the eighth. “When it went over the fence it was even better”. “I was behind in the count a lot so that didn’t help and the walks, that didn’t help either”.

The Jays cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning. Darrell Ceciliani doubled, Devon Travis extended his streak to eight games with a single, and Ceciliani scored when Josh Donaldson grounded into a double play.

Toronto tied the score 2-2 in the fourth when Saunders sent a 93 miles per hour sinker from Musgrove over the wall in left-centre. He gave up a solo homer to Michael Saunders.

Encarnacion’s 32nd home run tied him with Baltimore’s Mark Trumbo for the major league lead. Stros starter Joe Musgove picked up the win with both runs allowed over seven frames while whiffing seven.

Sanchez is due to make 23rd start of the season against the visiting Houston Astros on Saturday afternoon. Bregman loaded the bases with a single and Altuve lined out to third before Correa drove in his 79th and 80th runs of the season.

Saunders led off the bottom of the fourth with his career-best 20th homer of the season on a 2-1 sinker. It was his first hit in the big leagues. Liriano hit Jason Castro, the next Astros batter, and was pulled in favour of Ryan Tepera. McHugh matched a season-worst by giving up 10 hits in an August 8 start at Minnesota.

Gibbons said earlier in the day that Aaron Sanchez would likely be skipped in that rotation occasionally down the stretch as a precaution.

Pat Neshek handled the eighth and Will Harris worked around Encarnacion’s homer in the ninth for his 12th save.

“There’s really no give in that lineup”, McHugh said.

“Incredible day, a day that I’m never going to forget”, Hernandez said.

Five years later, Musgrove is doing just that, only against the Jays on behalf of the Houston Astros.