Houston Astros vs Toronto Blue Jays Box Score on Jul 07, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 7, 2017

TORONTO -- George Springer hit two home runs and matched a career best with five RBIs, Charlie Morton pitched six strong innings and the Houston Astros defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 12-2 on Friday night.

Springer's four hits included a three-run homer and a solo blast. He became the first leadoff hitter to hit 27 home runs before the All-Star break in major league history.

Carlos Correa added a two-run homer and Evan Gattis had a solo shot for the Astros (59-28), who gained a split in the first two games of the four-game series with their win.

Troy Tulowitzki and Ezequiel Carrera hit solo homers for Toronto (40-46).

Morton (6-3), starting for the first time since May 24 because of a right lat strain, allowed four hits, two walks and one run.

Aaron Sanchez (0-2) allowed seven hits, four walks and eight runs (five earned) in 1 2/3 innings in his first start since May 19. He had been on the disabled list with a blister and split nail on his right middle finger.

Gattis led off the seventh inning with his seventh home run of the season. Springer hit his second homer of the game with two outs in the seventh.

James Hoyt replaced Morton and had a perfect bottom of the seventh and Tony Sipp followed with a perfect eighth.

Toronto's Jeff Beliveau took over in the eighth from Mike Bolsinger, who allowed six hits and four runs while striking out seven in 5 1/3 innings of relief.

Beliveau allowed one hit in two innings.

Francis Martes pitched the ninth for the Astros and gave up the sixth homer of the season by Carrera, who replaced Jose Bautista in right field in the seventh.

Sanchez allowed two runs in the first inning when Correa hit his 18th home run of the season after Springer and Jose Altuve led off with singles and Josh Reddick grounded into a double play.

The Astros added six runs in the second inning.

Springer's 26th homer of the season followed walks to Gattis and Norichika Aoki to bump the lead to 5-0.

An error by Tulowitzki at short on his flip to second base on Correa's potential double-play grounder loaded the bases for Houston.

Marwin Gonzalez had an RBI groundout to second, Carlos Beltran chopped an RBI infield single to second and Gattis hit an RBI double. Mike Bolsinger replaced Sanchez.

A double by Springer and an infield single by Altuve set up an RBI single by Reddick for a 9-0 Houston lead in the third.

Alex Bregman led off the fifth with a double, took third on a groundout and scored on Springer's sacrifice fly.

Tulowitzki hit his sixth homer of the season with one out in the bottom of the fifth.

NOTES: Toronto RHP Roberto Osuna was added to the American League All-Star team. The 22-year-old is the youngest Blue Jays to go to the game. ... Astros RHP Dayan Diaz was optioned to Triple-A Fresno to make room for RHP Charlie Morton, who was reinstated from the disabled list (right lat strain) to start. ... Blue Jays RHP Dominic Leone was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo after RHP Aaron Sanchez was activated from the DL (right middle finger) to start the game. ... Houston RHP Mike Fiers (5-3, 3.80 ERA) will oppose Toronto RHP Marcus Stroman (8-5. 3.42) on Saturday in the third game of the series.