The normally stoic Charlie Morton actually cracked a smile after he was reminded that his stellar outing gave him 10 wins for just the third time in his 11-year career.
However Michael Frolik Jersey , the Houston right-hander was quick to point out that he wouldn’t have such success without help from his teammates, a fact that was on display on Tuesday.
Morton (10-1) struck out 13 in seven innings, Jake Marisnick hit a three-run homer in the eighth after preserving the shutout with a big defensive play in the sixth as the Astros got a 7-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
He scattered four hits and walked two for his third straight win to become Houston’s first 10-game winner.
”I didn’t even think about that,” he said of reaching 10 wins for the second straight year. ”Yeah, that’s a lot. That’s good. Honestly the wins, that’s a team thing. I give most of the credit to the guys in there.”
Toronto manager John Gibbons raved about Morton.
”Morton is in a class of his own,” he said. ”He’s in an elite group now. He wasn’t giving us much.”
Evan Gattis put Houston up with a two-run single in the fifth. Marisnick padded the lead with his shot to left field with one out in the eighth and Alex Bregman, who tied a career-high with four hits, added a two-run homer with two outs in the inning for his second straight game with a home run.
Marisnick’s homer came after he dazzled on defense two innings earlier. Teoscar Hernandez singled with two outs in the sixth before Yangervis Solarte drew a walk. Marisnick then robbed Justin Smoak of extra bases when he leaped and bounced off the wall in left-center to grab his fly ball.
”It’s a close game and everything that was on the line with that play … the game is completely different if he doesn’t make that catch,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
Marisnick, who routinely makes tough catches, said that it was definitely in the top-5 in his career and joked about jumping significantly higher than left fielder Josh Reddick on the play.
”I’m going to get a poster made of that with Reddick a little bit lower than me,” he said.
Toronto’s Ryan Borucki (0-1) had a solid start in his major league debut, allowing six hits and two runs while walking four with three strikeouts in six innings.
”I thought he was fantastic against a great hitting ballclub,” Gibbons said. ”They put the pressure on him, and he didn’t cave.”
Chris Devenski struck out one in the eighth and Hector Rondon allowed one hit in the ninth to give Houston its seventh shutout this season.
The Blue Jays couldn’t do anything against Morton early as he struck out the side in the first before walking Smoak to start the second. But Smoak was caught stealing and Morton struck out the next two batters to allow him to face the minimum through two.
The last two batters in the second inning were the first of 10 straight retired by Morton, capped by five strikeouts in a row. Russell Martin gave Toronto its first hit on a single with two outs in the fifth and Randal Grichuk followed with a broken-bat single, but Aledmys Diaz grounded out to end the inning.
Bregman Jamaal Williams Jersey , who hit three doubles, doubled with one out in the fifth before Jose Altuve drew a walk. Both players advanced on a wild pitch with two outs before the Astros made it 2-0 on the double to left-center by Gattis.
Houston catcher Brian McCann was shaken up when Solarte hit him on the helmet on his backswing in the sixth inning. McCann was checked out by the team trainer before staying in the game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: INF Josh Donaldson, who has been on the disabled list since June 1 because of calf tightness, strained his left calf while preparing to play in a rehabilitation game for Class A Dunedin on Tuesday. An MRI revealed the acute strain and the team said he’ll be re-evaluated in three weeks. … LHP Jaime Garcia (sore left shoulder) will see a specialist on Thursday before returning to Florida to continue his rehabilitation.
Astros: SS Carlos Correa got a game off on Tuesday as he deals with what Hinch said is ”a little bit of back stiffness.” Hinch said Correa was OK and the day off was more for rest than anything else. … RHP Joe Smith (right elbow inflammation) will throw one more bullpen before beginning a rehabilitation assignment this weekend.
ONE CITY, TWO MVPs
Altuve took a minute on Tuesday to congratulate Houston Rockets’ star James Harden for winning his first MVP trophy a night before. Altuve, who was named MVP for the first time last season, thinks it’s cool that Houston now has two MVPs.
”It was well-deserved … I would have been mad if he didn’t win it,” Altuve said.
UP NEXT
Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel (4-8, 3.90 ERA) opposes Marco Estrada (4-7, 4.48) when these teams wrap up the series on Wednesday. Keuchel hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last two starts and Estrada allowed just three hits and two runs in seven innings in his last start but took the loss in a 2-1 defeat by the Angels.
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Edwin Jackson is making the most of his opportunity with yet another new team.
The 34-year-old journeyman earned his first win with Oakland, pitching neatly into the seventh inning as the Athletics beat the Cleveland Indians 7-2 Saturday for their season-high sixth straight victory.
Jackson (1-0) signed a minor league contract with the A’s on June 6 and is now with his record-tying 13th major league team. He gave up only two hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked none in his second start for Oakland.
”Honestly, when I can look in the mirror and say that I can’t do it any more, I’ll go home,” Jackson said.
”I’m not playing for the money. I’m not playing for anything else but to come have fun,” he said.
Jackson was in the minors for Washington earlier this season, then joined the A’s. With their rotation beset by injuries, the Athletics gave Jackson a chance.
Matt Olson, Dustin Fowler and Josh Phegley homered to help the A’s win for the 12th time in 14 games. They’ve won seven straight against Cleveland and nine of their last 10 against the Indians in Oakland.
Jackson has won 10 consecutive decisions over Cleveland Jimmy Howard Jersey , a streak dating to 2008. His string against the Indians is the longest since Charlie Hough beat them 13 straight times from 1984-88.
Jackson has 13 strikeouts and hasn’t allowed a walk in 12 2/3 innings through his first two starts with Oakland. He topped out at 97 mph on Saturday.
”Based on the way he was available and the way he’s been able to pitch for us it’s a surprise, but he’s always been able to do that a little bit with the sinker and the four-seamer,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said.
”Now he just manipulates a little bit more and the offspeed stuff with the changeup speed and the slider. . It really keeps you off-balance,” he said.
The AL Central-leading Indians lost for the fourth time in five games.
The A’s trailed 2-0 going into the sixth, when Franklin Barreto became their first baserunner with a leadoff double against Adam Plutko (4-2). Phegley followed with his second home run and Oakland took a 3-2 lead when Fowler scored from first on Mark Canha’s double.
”I was extremely happy with the first four (innings) and how could you not be?” Plutko said. ”Even in the fifth I liked what I was doing, but in the sixth they came out with four straight hits, flexed their muscle and that was the game.”
Francisco Lindor hit his 20th homer and Jose Ramirez hit his 24th in the Cleveland fourth.
Oakland broke the game open in the eighth, when they homered twice in a four-run inning. Fowler hit his fifth home run leading off the inning against Dan Otero, and Olson hit a two-run shot off Josh Tomlin, his 18th.
Rookie Lou Trivino induced Yonder Alonso to hit into a game-ending for his third save. Trivino came into the game after the Indians loaded the bases with one out in the ninth off Santiago Casilla on a hit, a walk and a hit batter.
HOME
The A’s finally got their offense going at home, where going into Saturday were batting .233 and averaging 3.61 runs per game at the Coliseum. Oakland is hitting .263 and averaging 5.55 runs on the road.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: LHP Tyler Olson (latissimus dorsi strain) threw his first bullpen on Friday and is expected to throw off a mound again on Sunday. … LHP Ryan Merritt (left knee sprain) threw 48 pitches on Friday in a rehab game with Triple-A Columbus. . RHP Carlos Carrasco (right elbow contusion) was expected to throw 65 pitches in a rehab game with Double-A Akron on Saturday.
Athletics: 3B Matt Chapman (right thumb contusion) will take BP on Sunday and could be activated for Tuesday’s series opener against San Diego without going on a rehab assignment. ”Even if we don’t feel like potentially he’s up to speed offensively, he can save some runs out there defensively,” Melvin said.
UP NEXT
RHP Mike Clevinger (6-3, 3.03 ERA) is 0-1 with a 7.04 ERA in two outings (one start) against Oakland. He’s 2-1 with a 2.07 ERA over his last four starts. RHP Frankie Montas (4-1, 3.68) is 1-1 with a 7.20 ERA over his last three starts.