Astros at Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are doing their best to climb back into at least American League wild card contention with four wins in their last five games as they host the Houston Astros on Sunday in the teams' final contest before the All-Star Game. Toronto (41-46) will need plenty of production from Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki, who each homered in Saturday's 7-2 victory with Donaldson's snapping a 21-game homerless drought and Tulowitzki going deep for the second straight contest.
Tulowitzki batted .299 in the first nine-plus seasons of his career with Colorado, but .251 with the Blue Jays since being acquired prior to the 2015 trade deadline. The 32-year-old shortstop, though, is 9-for-20 with two home runs and five RBIs in his last five games - raising his average 23 points to .254. Houston (59-29) has a hot hitter in its own in George Springer (.307), who is 15-for-27 during a six-game hitting streak with three home runs, nine RBIs and 11 runs scored. The Astros' Brad Peacock has won his last three starts - striking out 22 in 16 2/3 innings - and opposes J.A. Happ, who has returned to the form that won him 20 games last season.
TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, ROOT Southwest (Houston), TVA Sports, Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Brad Peacock (6-1, 2.91 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH J.A. Happ (3-5, 3.47)
Peacock allowed three runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out seven in six innings of a 16-4 victory in Atlanta on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Floridian yielded only one home run and struck out 80 in 55 2/3 innings this season after yielding 41 round-trippers and fanning 231 in 263 2/3 frames over his first five seasons. Peacock, who is 4-1 with a 3.66 ERA in eight starts this season, is expected to move back to the bullpen once Dallas Keuchel returns from the disabled list.
Happ permitted one run, four hits and two walks while striking out six in six innings of a 4-1 victory at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. The 34-year-old Illinois native has allowed three or fewer runs in six of seven starts since returning from the disabled list May 30, going 3-2 with a 3.07 ERA during that span and not walking more than two batters in his last five turns. Happ is 4-1 with a 3.21 ERA in seven starts versus Houston and has fared well against Jose Altuve (1-for-12) and Carlos Correa (1-for-6).
WALK-OFFS
1. Toronto C Russell Martin is 8-for-18 with two home runs, three RBIs and seven runs scored during a four-game hitting streak.
2. Correa went 0-for-3 with a walk Saturday to end his career-best 15-game hitting streak.
3. Springer's double Saturday extended Houston's two-base hit streak to 45 games, the fourth-longest run in history. Cleveland set the record with 75 in 1996.