Osuna slams the door for 21st straight save
TORONTO — With the all-star break just around the corner, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons knows his team needs to win games if they’re going to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot.
That’s why he turned to closer Roberto Osuna for a third straight day on Thursday as Toronto used a five-run fifth inning to defeat the MLB-best Houston Astros 7-4.
Osuna picked up his 22nd save of the season and 21st consecutive overall which tied Billy Koch for the fourth longest save streak in franchise history.
“A closer’s got to be able to go three in a row. I just don’t think he’s had the chance all year, that’s why he hasn’t done it,” said Gibbons. “I said the other day, I think it’s as good as I’ve ever seen him.”
Catcher Russell Martin, who had three hits including a solo home run, continues to be impressed by his star 22-year-old reliever. He said it appears as though Osuna’s demeanour on the mound is consistent.
“It looks like he believes he’s going to make a pitch every single time,” said Martin, whose sixthinning blast was his second long ball in as many days.
“But just how good he is at making those adjustment and he’s doing it at a young age. You don’t really see that too much from young players and he has such great feel and he keeps getting better.”
Kendrys Morales added an RBI double and scored twice for the Blue Jays (40-45), who won their third straight. The win also ended Toronto’s five-game losing streak at home in its last series before the all-star break.
Francisco Liriano (5-4) threw six-plus innings while allowing three runs on nine hits and striking out four on a warm summer evening at Rogers Centre.
Lance McCullers Jr., (7-2) took the loss after giving up six runs — five earned — on nine hits and walking two over 4 ⁄ innings for the Astros (58-28), who had a fourgame winning streak snapped.
“He uncharacteristically didn’t quite have his stuff,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said about the 2017 all star. “Everyone’s allowed a bad day at work.”
Josh Donaldson gave the Blue Jays their first lead of the game in the fifth with a two-run single to right field. It snapped an 0-for-15 drought at the plate for the 2015 American League MVP. ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Wilson Ramos homered and drove in three against Chris Sale despite the all-star’s record-setting performance, and rookie Jake Faria remained unbeaten as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Thursday night.
Sale (11-4) struck out 12 while giving up four runs and seven hits in seven innings. He became the first Red Sox pitcher to strike out 10 or more in 12 games before the all-star break, surpassing the 11 games of Pedro Martinez in 1999.