Houston, TX—–Yordan Alvarez showcased his power with two home runs and a four-hit performance, while Cristian Javier and the Astros’ bullpen held the Toronto Blue Jays to just one hit in an 8-0 victory on Wednesday night.
Javier pitched five solid innings, allowing the lone hit of the game, before Seth Martinez, Rafael Montero, Tayler Scott, and Dylan Coleman each contributed an inning of scoreless relief.
This marked the second consecutive shutout for the Blue Jays in the series, following Ronel Blanco’s no-hitter on Monday.
Manager Joe Espada praised Alvarez’s breakout performance, emphasizing the importance of his ability to make solid contact.
Alvarez attributed his success to using bats from last season, leading to a two-homer game and a total of four hits.
Alvarez’s offensive onslaught included an RBI double in the fourth inning, further bolstering the Astros’ lead.
The Blue Jays struggled to generate offense, managing only one hit by Daulton Varsho and walking seven times.
“We’re not doing much damage on balls we’re putting in play right now,” manager John Schneider said. “That’s kind of been the story of this series. It’s good pitching. So, you want to do a little bit more but you move on.”
Astros hitters continued to pile on runs, with Jeremy Peña and Jose Altuve contributing home runs in the seventh inning to secure the 8-0 victory.
Looking ahead, the Blue Jays will send Yusei Kikuchi to face the New York Yankees, while the Astros will count on Hunter Brown in a matchup against the Texas Rangers.
