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The Toronto Blue Jays go after a seventh straight win on Friday when they continue a four-game series with the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. San Antonio Spurs Black Friday Jersey . Getting the call for the Jays on Friday will be lefty J.A. Happ, who is 8-5 with a 4.58 ERA. Happ did not get a decision on Sunday versus New York, as the Yankees reached him for three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings of his teams 5-4 win. Happ has beaten the Astros both times he has faced them and has pitched to a 2.53 ERA in those outings. The Blue Jays have won nine of 10 and are just 1 1/2 games back of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East. Houston, meanwhile, will counter with righty Collin McHugh, who has lost his last six starts. McHughs latest setback came on Sunday against Miami, which reached him for four runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings, dropping him to 4-9 on the year to go along with a 3.45 ERA. McHugh is still among the American League leaders in both opponents batting average (.202) and strikeouts (102 in 88 2/3 innings), but the Astros have put up only eight runs over his losing streak. "We have one job as starters: We go out, and for however many pitches we get -- whether its 95, 105, 120 -- you go out and you get outs," said McHugh, who is 2-7 with a 3.43 ERA over his past 10 starts. "The offense, their job is to do their thing and get on base and score runs, and if everybody does their job, we win. Toronto took two of three from the Astros earlier in the year. Toronto continued to roll on Thursday, as Nolan Reimolds second home run of the game propelled the Jays to a 6-5 win. Reimold homered in the ninth inning off of Chad Qualls (1-3) to put Toronto ahead and Casey Janssen pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to lock down the win and pick up his 18th save of the season. Jose Bautista and Dioner Navarro also homered for the Blue Jays. Drew Hutchison lasted just three innings as he was tagged for four runs on six hits. Aaron Sanchez (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the win. Jonathan Singleton hit a solo home run for the Astros, who have lost seven of nine. "Obviously, their four solo home runs proved to be the difference in the ballgame," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "They definitely are a power-hitting team." Portland Trail Blazers Cyber Monday Jersey . -- Vincent Viola grew up in Brooklyn, graduated from West Point, is a former chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange and after the Sept. New Orleans Pelicans Black Friday Jersey . -- The Royals have agreed to terms with 10 players not yet eligible for arbitration on major league contracts, including outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The free-fall is over for the Tampa Bay Rays. Erik Bedard struck out eight in six innings and the Rays stopped a 10-game losing streak by beating the Seattle Mariners 4-0 Friday night. The skid tied Boston for the longest in the majors this season. The Red Sox dropped 10 straight from May 15-25, with Tampa Bay handing them the last three losses in the streak. This was the Rays first victory since then. "The music is back on in the clubhouse after the game," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "Its good to hear the music. Its a good first game to start hopefully getting us back in the right direction." Bedard (3-4) scattered four hits and walked one in ending a three-start losing streak. Jake McGee, Joel Peralta and Grant Balfour, who gave up a ninth-inning single, all went one inning to complete a five-hitter. "Its way more fun winning," Bedard said. "We celebrated, and hopefully we do that tomorrow, too." After Jose Molina got his first RBI this season on a fourth-inning sacrifice fly, Tampa Bay went ahead 3-0 in the fifth on an RBI bunt single by Desmond Jennings and Yunel Escobars run-scoring single off Chris Young (5-3). Young gave up three runs, seven hits and five walks over five innings for the Mariners, who had their five-game winning streak snapped. "This is one of those days we didnt play very well on either side of the baseball and those things happen," manager Lloyd McClendon said. The Rays loaded the bases with two outs in the second, but failed score when Molina popped out to shortstop Brad Miller. Dating to last season, it was Molinas 100th coonsecutive at-bat, including 87 this year, without an RBI. Detroit Pistons Black Friday Jersey. Kevin Kiermaier doubled and went to third on a wild pitch in the fourth before Molina ended a stretch of 19 scoreless innings by Seattle pitchers with his sac fly. "I play for the team," Molina said. "I dont play for myself. To help the team to get that run in, and get the win, Im happy with it." Bedard worked out of a second-and-third, no-out jam in the third by striking out Miller, James Jones and Michael Saunders. Saunders left after three innings due to a sore right shoulder. "He hurt it on deck swinging," McClendon said. "Hopefully hell be OK in a day or two." NOTES: The Rays on Saturday will honour the life of senior adviser Don Zimmer, who died Wednesday night at 83. "I got up (on Thursdays off day) and getting ready to go to the track, and I realized Zim was not picking me up," said McClendon, who played on the 1989 Chicago Cubs NL East championship team managed by Zimmer. "Zim and I have been going to the track for the last eight, nine years. Ill miss that. Zim was an institution. He was certainly a mentor to me." ... The Mariners will salute Yankees SS Derek Jeter in a pregame ceremony before Tuesday nights game. Jeter is retiring after this season. ... Tampa Bay RHP Jeremy Hellickson (elbow) and C Ryan Hanigan (hamstring) are scheduled to start minor league rehab assignments Saturday with Class-A Charlotte. Hellickson hopes to be back before the All-Star break, and Hanigan could return next week. ... Seattle LHP James Paxton (left shoulder inflammation) could resume playing catch Monday. ' ' ' |
