Jeremy Pena hit a three-run homer, Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman also knocked the ball out of the park and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-7 on Friday, extending their winning streak to four games.
Bregman hit a solo homer off Yusei Kikuchi in the first inning, his fourth, while Pena and Alvarez pounded Trevor Richards in the sixth, in which Houston generated five runs.
It was Peña’s fourth home run, while for Álvarez it represented the fifth of the season.
Bregman scored three runs and Yuli Gurriel had three hits, including a pair of doubles, as Houston matched its season high with 14 hits.
Kyle Tucker had two hits and drove in two runs for the Astros, who have won five of six since going on a four-game losing streak. Houston is 8-0 when scoring four or more runs and 10-2 when scoring first.
Astros right-hander Jose Urquidy (2-1) allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings to shake off two winless starts. He gave away a walk and struck out six.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a three-run homer for the Blue Jays, his sixth of the year, and Matt Chapman added a two-run homer to reach four for the season. Toronto right-hander Trent Thornton (0-2) gave up a run in 1 1/3 innings.
For the Astros, Cubans Yordan Álvarez, 4-3 with three runs scored and 3 produced, Yuli Gurriel, 5-3 with one produced; and the Dominicans José Siri, 5-2 with a run scored and Jeremy Peña, 5-1 with two runs scored and 3 RBIs.
For the Blue Jays, the Dominicans Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 5-1 with a run scored and 3 RBIs, Raimel Tapia, 5-4 with a run scored and an RBI, and Santiago Espinal, 5-2; and Cuban Lourdes Gurriel, 3-1 with a run scored.
Parents 7 Pirates 3
Ha-Seong Kim and Jake Cronenworth homered, Yu Darvish pitched six effective innings and the San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 on Friday night.
Kim, who was 2-for-4, tied the game 2-2 with a two-run homer in the second inning.
Cronenworth, also 2-for-4, then hit a solo homer in the seventh for the game’s final score.
The Padres got their fourth straight win and ninth in their last 11 games.
Trayce Thompson drove in two runs with a single for San Diego.
Darvish (2-1) gave up three runs on eight hits, striking out five and walking one.
Taylor Rogers made the final two outs and earned his eighth save in nine chances after the Pirates had two runners on base in the ninth.
Zach Thompson (0-3) gave up four runs in 3 1/3 innings. He was acquired from Miami in a trade for Gold Glove wide receiver Jacob Stallins during the offseason. Thompson has a 10.05 ERA in four starts.
For the Pirates, Venezuelan Diego Castillo 4-2, one produced.
For the Padres, Dominican Manny Machado 4-1, one RBI.
Rays 6 Twins 1
Josh Lowe and Mike Zunino homered for the first time this season, Corey Kluber gave up one hit in six innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Minnesota Twins 6-1 on Friday night, snapping a seven-game winning streak.
Lowe hit his first career homer in a four-run opening-inning drive off Twins starter Dylan Bundy.
With his solo homer, Zunino extended the Rays’ lead to 6-0 in the third inning.
Kluber (1-1) allowed one run and one hit without walking in six innings while striking out six in his fourth start with the Rays.
Tampa Bay floored Bundi (3-1) from the first pitch: a Brandon Lowe double. Dominican Wander Franco followed with an RBI double and Cuban Yandy Díaz with a single. Lowe made it 4-0 with his home run by the Rays, the Dominican wander Franco 4-2, one scored, one RBI. Cubans Yandy Díaz 4-2, one scored, one RBI, and Randy Arozarena 3-0.
For the Twins, the Venezuelan Luis Arráez 4-0. Puerto Rican Carlos Correa 4-2, one RBI. Dominicans Jorge Polanco 3-0 and Gary Sánchez 3-0. Colombian Gio Urshela 3-0.