Trent Thornton shut down his former team into the seventh inning, Teoscar Hernández hit two of Toronto's five home runs and the Blue Jays hammered the Houston Astros 12-0 on Sunday.
Freddy Galvis and Hernández each hit three-run homers in a seven-run sixth inning. Hernández added a solo drive in the ninth off Tyler White, who started the game at first base.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. launched a long, two-run homer and had an RBI single and sacrifice fly. Rowdy Tellez also homered.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Brad Peacock, left, walks off the mound as Toronto Blue Jays' Lourdes Gurriel Jr., back right, rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 16, 2019, in Houston. (AP PhotoEric Christian Smith)
Thornton (2-5) scattered six singles, struck out seven and walked three in 6 2/3 innings. He has given up no more than three runs in six of his last seven starts.
Thornton was drafted by the Astros in 2015. The 25-year-old righty was traded to Toronto in the offseason for Aledmys Diaz.
Brad Peacock (6-4) went five innings and allowed four runs for the second straight start.
Toronto Blue Jays' Teoscar Hernandez, right, celebrates his three-run home run off Houston Astros relief pitcher Cionel Perez with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 16, 2019, in Houston. (AP PhotoEric Christian Smith)
WHITE PITCHES
White, regularly a first baseman and designated hitter, got a nice ovation when he took the mound for the ninth inning. White, who had pitched in two other games this season, allowed one run on two hits. This was his fifth career pitching appearance in the majors — he's allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings overall.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. celebrates Freddy Galvis's three-run home run off Houston Astros relief pitcher Cionel Perez during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 16, 2019, in Houston. (AP PhotoEric Christian Smith)
Blue Jays: 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returned to the lineup as the designated hitter. He finished 1 for 5. Guerrero missed Saturday's game after getting hit by a pitch on his hand on Friday.
Astros: OF George Springer (left hamstring strain) took flyballs in the outfield prior to the game. He is expected to run the bases on Monday in Cincinnati before a possible rehabilitation assignment. "We want him to do every single thing that we can think of to get him ready to play," manager AJ Hinch said. "We are going to an extreme for him basically because of how long he's been out." .. 2B Jose Altuve (left hamstring strain) will play in rehabilitation games Sunday and Monday with Triple-A Round Rock.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: RHP Edwin Jackson (1-4, 10.22 ERA) starts Monday in the opener of a four-game series against the Angels. Jackson earned the win in his last start Wednesday against the Orioles, allowing two runs over five innings.
Astros: LHP Wade Miley (6-3, 3.14) starts Monday in the first of a three-game series at the Reds. Miley threw six shutout innings in his last start on June 9 against the Orioles.
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Matt Chapman doubled home Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with two outs in the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Houston Astros 4-3 Friday night for their third straight win.
Chapman’s tiebreaking drive into the left-center field gap off reliever Héctor Neris (1-1) scored Guerrero from first base. Houston lost its third in a row.
The Astros put runners at the corners with one out in the bottom of the ninth on singles by Yuli Gurriel and Aledmys Díaz off Jordan Romano.
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. slides at home to score on Matt Chapman's double during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the Houston Astros, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Houston. (AP PhotoEric Christian Smith)
After Jason Castro struck out, J.J. Matijevic was sent to the plate for his major league debut, pinch-hitting for Martín Maldonado. The lefty vs. righty matchup didn't work out for the Astros when Romano fanned Matijevic for his eighth save.
Tim Mayza (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth.
Justin Verlander made his first start against the Blue Jays since no-hitting them on Sept. 1, 2019, in Toronto. On Friday night, he held Toronto hitless until Raimel Tapia singled to right in the fourth inning.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander delivers during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Houston. (AP PhotoEric Christian Smith)
Verlander went six innings and allowed three runs on four hits. He struck out five and walked one.
The Astros took a 3-0 lead in the third on a one-out double by Maldonado that was followed by a walk to Jeremy Peña and singles from Michael Brantley, Alex Bregman and Gurriel.
The Blue Jays tied it at 3 in the fifth on back-to-back homers from Santiago Espinal and Bradley Zimmer. The solo shots -- both to left field -- came on consecutive pitches and marked the first homers of the year for both Espinal and Zimmer.
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jordan Romano, right, celebrates the team's win over the Houston Astros with catcher Alejandro Kirk after a baseball game Friday, April 22, 2022, in Houston. (AP PhotoEric Christian Smith)
Toronto scored its first run in the fourth after Tapia led off the inning with a single and later scored on a grounder.
Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling allowed five hits in four innings, giving up three runs and striking out two.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr., right, helps Santiago Espinal put on a home run jacket after Espinal hit a solo homer during the fifth inning of the team's baseball game against the Houston Astros, Friday, April 22, 2022, in Houston. (AP PhotoEric Christian Smith)
Blue Jays: OF George Springer was out of the lineup after being hit in the right wrist on Thursday. Springer said before the game he is hopeful to play on Saturday night. It’s his first trip back to Houston, where he spent seven seasons before signing with Toronto in 2021.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Alek Manoah (2-0, 1.50) starts for Toronto on Saturday. He has pitched into the sixth inning in seven straight starts, giving up two runs or fewer in the last six.
Toronto Blue Jays' Bo Bichette reacts after being tagged out by Houston Astros second baseman Aledmys Diaz while attempting to steal second during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, April 22, 2022, in Houston. (AP PhotoEric Christian Smith)
Astros: Jose Urquidy (1-1, 7.00) allowed six runs and eight hits in four innings in an April 17 loss to Seattle.
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