Blue Jays 0 Astros 7
It is tough to win when you don’t score.
Hunter Brown was terrific. He came into today’s game with a 17-inning streak of not allowing a run. Now it is 24 innings. He went 7 innings, allowing just two hits and one walk with nine strikeouts.
We should have scored.
George Springer led off the second inning with a single and then stole second and third (that was pretty impressive). But Andrés Giménez and Alejandro Kirk each struck out. They needed to find a way to get a bat on a ball. Ernie Clement flew out, ending the inning and the only threat the Jays had all game.
Kevin Gausman was matching Brown through the first four innings. The fifth? Kevin gave up a soft fly single to right by Cam Smith. It fell between Springer and Giménez. Watching it again, I think Springer took a first step back and came up just short of making the catch. Likely, he should have had it. Statcast says it went 166 feet. Brendan Rogers followed with another single to short right field. Then Zach Dezenzo lined one over Springer. I’ve always felt Springer was poor at balls over his head. I thought he should have made a better effort on that one. But it wasn’t an easy play. It went for a double that scored one.
Jose Altuve followed that with a double to left, which was 3-0. An Isaac Paredes single scored the Astros’ fourth run.
The Astros got one more in the seventh and two more in the eighth off Josh Walker.
You don’t win many games when you only get three base runners.
No Jays of the Day. Springer had the high-water mark at .057, having one of our two hits. But he loses some points for his defense.
Other Award: Gausman (-.142), Kirk (-.098) and Vlad (-.075). All the batters (minus Springer) deserve this honour.
Alan Roden made a great throw on a hit to left field, just about getting the runner going into second. I thought they should have challenged it, since it was the seventh inning, so losing the challenge wouldn’t have cost anything.
Tomorrow it is Chris Bassitt (2-0, 0.77) vs. Ronel Blanco (1-2, 6.48). Please score some runs against him.