Houston Astros' Carlos Correa reacts as he rounds 3rd base after hitting a home run. File photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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TORONTO -- The Houston Astros have a relentless lineup, an offense that never stops.
The Toronto Blue Jays found out all about it Sunday afternoon when the Astros pounded out 17 hits, including five home runs, in a 19-1 victory. It was the largest margin of victory in Astros' franchise history.
Carlos Correa hit two home runs, had a career-best five RBIs and matched his career best with four hits.
"That was incredible today," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "We really were explosive today. We never stopped. We have days like that where we just come at you for nine full innings. We put a lot of big innings together."
Yulieski Gurriel, Jose Altuve and Evan Gattis also homered for the Astros, who gained a split of the four-game series that is followed by the All-Star break.
Altuve had three hits for his fifth consecutive game, and Gattis matched his career best with four RBIs. Gattis has an 11-game hitting streak.
"We don't want to give up at-bats," Correa said. "So one through nine everybody's having a good approach out there and trying to make the best out of every at-bat. Felt good at the plate today, so hopefully I can carry that into the second half."
Toronto's Ezequiel Carrera hit his career-best seventh homer of the season with two outs in the ninth against Francis Martes.
"Any time you have a game like that, you try flush it pretty quick," said Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak, who was 1-for-3 with a walk. "We have this break here, it's much needed for a lot of the guys in here, and we'll be ready to go afterwards.
"I feel we've been playing pretty good baseball. That team over there is really good, to get two wins against them is good."
Brad Peacock (7-1) allowed five hits and five walks in six scoreless innings to post his fourth straight win and equal his longest outing of the season.
"Felt great," Peacock said. "Kind of struggled there in the fourth (walking the bases loaded) but made some pitches and got out of it and Gattis did a great job calling pitches that inning and getting me out of it."
Toronto starter J.A. Happ (3-6) allowed seven hits, three walks and six runs (two earned) in four innings.
"I'm disappointed," Happ said. "I wasn't very crisp today. Against that lineup, especially, you need to be. So that's a bummer."
Josh Donaldson had two hits, a walk and two errors for Toronto (41-47).
Two umpires' calls in the top of the top of the first were reversed by video review. George Springer picked up an infield hit after being originally called out at first base on a superb bare-handed grab and throw by Donaldson.
Altuve followed by grounding into a double play. After Correa singled and Gattis walked, Marwin Gonzalez hit a bloop to center that was originally ruled a hit before the video showed that Kevin Pillar made a diving catch.
The Astros (60-29) scored five runs (one earned) in the top of the second inning.
Gurriel hit his 11th homer of the season with one out. Alex Bregman doubled and scored on a throwing error by Donaldson on Springer's two-out grounder. Altuve followed with his 13th homer and Correa also homered.
Another call was overturned by a review in the bottom of the third when Donaldson was ruled to be out at second trying for a double. He originally was called safe.
The Astros added a run in the fourth on two walks followed by an infield hit by Correa.
Lucas Harrell replaced Happ in the fifth and gave up a three-run homer to Gattis in the sixth. The eighth homer of the season for the Astros catcher followed singles by Springer and Altuve.
Jake Marisnick hit an RBI double and pinch-hitter Norichika Aoki followed with an RBI single in the seventh against Aaron Loup in the sixth-run seventh. The hits were preceded by a hit batter and the second error of the game by Donaldson.
Ryan Tepera allowed an RBI single by Altuve and the 20th homer of the season by Correa, a three-run blast.
Joe Biagini allowed four runs in the top of the ninth on two walks, a double by Gattis and an infield single by Marwin Gonzales that included a throwing error by second baseman Darwin Barney and a wild pitch.
NOTES: Houston has doubled in 46 consecutive games, surpassing the franchise record of 38 set July 27-Sept. 6, 1977. The streak is the fourth longest in major league history since 1913 and the longest since the Tampa Bay Rays also doubled in 46 straight games in 2001-02. ... Toronto 1B Justin Smoak enters the All-Star break with 23 homers and 56 RBIs. His career high for RBIs in a complete season is 59 in 2015 and he already has set a career best in homers. ... Houston 2B Jose Altuve had his fifth consecutive three-hit game Sunday, a franchise record. No other Astros player had more than three three-hit games. The last major league player with a longer streak than four was 3B George Brett of the Kansas City Royals at six games in 1976.