GAME CENTRE
ASTROS 7, BLUE JAYS 2
Richard has a bit of Nuke-lear meltdown as bats stay silent
The Blue Jays continue to see big holes in their starting rotation as they sink further toward 100 losses.
Left-hander Clayton Richard was done after five innings (five runs, seven hits) in Saturday’s 7-2 loss to the Astros in Houston, and hasn’t won in five starts. Overall, the Jays’ rotation has managed just two wins in the last 22 games.
Richard had one of his strangest outings at Minute Maid Park, sailing four pitches wildly to the backstop — shades of Nuke LaLoosh from the movie
Bull Durham. The veteran — who led the San Diego Padres in starts and innings pitched in — seemed to lose his grip on breaking pitches, his hand getting under the ball. It’s a strange occurrence for Richard, who led the Padres in 2018 in starts and innings pitched, but he deserved credit for at least going five innings after Friday starter Aaron Sanchez got knocked out after three. Striking stats: The Jays struck out 10 times Saturday, after 13 in Friday’s 15-2 blowout defeat. As a team, they’ve fanned 639 times, eighth-most in the majors. That has contributed to a major-league worst .221 batting average. Kingham clubbed: Reliever Nick Kingham, recently acquired from the Pirates, had a Blue Jays debut to forget. His first pitch was hammered for a home run by Josh Reddick, and his fourth was clubbed for an RBI double by Jack Mayfield. Kingham, who took a perfect game into the seventh inning with Pittsburgh, last year, was the 26th pitcher used by the Jays already this season. Say it, spray it: Blue Jay Freddy Galvis went 2-for-3, after turning in the same numbers in Friday’s loss, and set a good example for his younger teammates against Houston’s terrific pitching staff. Galvis went with pitches, hitting them to all parts of the outfield without overswinging. It sounds so simple, but Galvis and rookie Cavan Biggio appear to be the only Jays who do it consistently. Biggio, after 17 games, is among the AL leaders when it comes to laying off pitches out of the strike zone. Run at your own risk: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has another strong defensive game in left field with a pair of assists, giving him four in 19 games this season. Deep lineup: The Astros are getting huge contributions out of young players, including left fielder Yordan Alvarez, who clubbed his fourth in five games. It was his 27th homer this season between the minors and majors, tops in baseball. Alvarez is 6-for-8 with two homers and four RBIs in the series. Houston second baseman Jack Mayfield had three doubles Saturday, one shy of Jeff Bagwell’s club record. Tough stuff: Astros left-hander Framber Valdez, making his second start of the year after starting out in the bullpen, struck out eight Jays. Angels star Mike Trout recently said Valdez has the best stuff on a Houston staff that boasts Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. According to Statcast, Valdez’s sinker drops in excess of five inches more than the average major league sinker. Up next: Trent Thornton starts for the Jays in the series finale against Brad Peacock and the Astros, 2 p.m. start.