Showing their clout
A dozen runs, Springer’s power ease Morton’s return to rotation
TORONTO — A night after the Astros suffered from misplays in a loss, they restored their proficiency for punishing opponents who make mistakes.
They barreled-up high pitches and lined low ones to amass home runs, hit streaks and franchise records. They took extra bases when balls bounced away from opposing fielders. They threw out runners who saw openings but found out their opportunities were sealed shut.
The Astros (59-28) thumped the Blue Jays (40-45) 12-2 on Friday night. Jose Altuve became the first player in team history with three hits in four consecutive games. Carlos Correa extended a 15-game hit streak with his 18th home run.
But George Springer thrashed the most. He went 4-for-4 with two home runs, three runs scored and five RBIs. Friday marked his second four-hit game in four days.
The Astros scored 10 unanswered runs. Each hitter in the lineup reached base by the fifth inning.
When the game turned into a forgone conclusion by the start of the seventh, manager A.J. Hinch replaced Springer with Jake Marisnick in the outfield.
“Getting him the most at-bats is pretty awesome,” Hinch said of Springer’s season at leadoff. “No park can hold him right now.”
With his eruption Friday, Springer has four multi-home run games and 60 RBIs, which tie Correa for the team lead.
The offensive outburst stole some attention from a significant performance by Charlie Morton (6-3, 3.82), who completed six innings in his return from the disabled list. He had not pitched since May 24 because of a right lat strain.
“With that time off you can be a little rusty, a little hesitant,” Morton said of a start made easier by a 10run lead.
Morton said he pitched more in on righthanded hitters more aggressively than he had. He threw 95 pitches and allowed one run. His only costly mistake was a two-seamer that leaked over the heart of the plate that Troy Tulowitzki lined to center in the fifth inning for his sixth home run of the season.
“We extended him a little longer than we expected,” Hinch said. “The most impressive thing he did was he really did attack them with strikes. Balls moving all over the place with plenty of velocity.”
Morton provided a rare respite for the bullpen, which Hinch has deployed more often as injuries rattled the rotation. Since June 21, Morton and Brad Peacock are the only starters to have completed six innings.
Morton on his game
Morton hit 96 mph and hummed at 95 mph in his final inning. He finished by stranding a runner on a fly ball from slugger Justin Smoak. The longer the ball hung, the closer Springer and Josh Reddick drifted toward each other. Springer called for it. Reddick reached for it. They collided gently as Reddick made the catch. They trotted to the dugout smiling.
It was that kind of night for the Astros.
They turned the strike zone into a no-fly zone for Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez (0-2, 4.85), who returned from the disabled list. He lasted 12⁄3 innings.
With Springer on after a leadoff single, Correa homered to center to give the the Astros a 2-0 lead.
Altuve showed from the start why his all-around performance likely will secure his candidacy for the Most Valuable Player award. He swung so hard in his first at-bat that his helmet fell off. He proceeded to beat out an infield single.
“Nothing he does surprises me anymore,” Reddick said. “As soon as I saw the ball was fair, I knew he was safe.”
When Altuve took the field, the Astros shifted the infield left for Jose Bautista, a pull hitter. Altuve had to sprint to his right, where the shortstop normally would be, and unfurl a spinning throw to get Bautista at first. Marwin Gonzalez stretched into a split to scoop the short hop.
The Astros scored six runs in the second inning on a mix of solidly struck balls and unusual mishaps by the Blue Jays. After Sanchez walked Evan Gattis and Nori Aoki, he elevated a two-seam fastball Springer blasted for a three-run home run to right field.
After Altuve singled and Reddick walked with one out, the Blue Jays squandered a chance to end the inning with a double play when Correa grounded to short. Second baseman Ryan Goins stepped back, thinking Tulowitzki would attempt to step on the bag and complete the play. Instead, Tulowitzki flipped the ball to no one, which led to an error and left the bases loaded.
Blue Jays‘ errors
The miscommunication allowed Gonzalez to drive in Altuve from third on a ground out to second.
The Blue Jays seemed misbegotten at that point. Carlos Beltran, a player not known for his speed at age 40, chopped a ball that bounced off the plate so high Goins could not field it in time to throw him out.
Reddick scored on the play and Correa walked home on a double by Gattis to finish the inning with the Astros ahead 8-0.
The Blue Jays could not similarly capitalize on the Astros’ missteps. When Reddick did not secure a diving catch in shallow right field, Steve Pearce chugged for second base. Reddick had plenty of time to recover for a throw that Altuve relayed to Correa for an easy out.
Reddick drove in Springer in the third. Springer sent Alex Bregman home on a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
In the seventh, after Tulowitzki had made it 10-1, Gattis hit his seventh home run and Springer his 27th. Springer has more home runs before the All-Star break than any leadoff hitter in history.
James Hoyt, Tony Sipp and Francis Martes finished the game. Martes went away from his blazing fastball to hang a curveball that Ezequiel Carrera pulled to right field for his sixth home run.
Astros hitters struck out nine times, all against the bullpen.
They swung freely because they hit often.
With three singles Friday, Altuve is 21-for-42 (.500) his last 10 games, which raised his average to a major league-leading .342.
“He deserves an off-day tomorrow,” Hinch said, “and he’ll get it.”