Houston Astros Extend Wild July 4th Streak In Canada
The Houston Astros had a pretty good week north of the border, taking three of four from the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Astros kicked off their four-game set at the Rogers Centre with a 3-1 victory on Monday, spoiling Canada Day for Blue Jays fans behind six shutout innings from Hunter Brown. While Houston lost on Tuesday, it nearly overcame a 7-0 deficit, turnng a potential blowout into a one-run game.
The Astros bounced back with a 9-2 rout on Wednesday as the bats exploded for 11 hits, including two doubles and a homer by All-Star slugger Yordan Alvarez. They capped off the series with a 5-3 win on Thursday as Framber Valdez and the bullpen clamped down, keeping Toronto off the board over the final eight innings.
Houston has now won its last eight games on the Fourth of July and hasn't lost on the holiday since 2015.
The @Astros take 3 out of 4 in Toronto and have won 12 of their last 14 games! pic.twitter.com/iuSDXyfGhR
— MLB (@MLB) July 4, 2024
The Astros simply haven't been losing much lately, regardless of what day it is. They've now won 12 of their last 14 games and have won six consecutive series, pulling to within two games of the first-place Seattle Mariners in the AL West. Since the beginning of June, Houston is 20-9 with a plus-52 run differential.
After a rough start to the season, the Astros are back to looking like the team that hasn't missed the ALCS since 2016. Even more impressively, Houston managed to do so without Justin Verlander and Kyle Tucker, both of whom have been injured since early June.
With both players set to return after the All-Star Break, the Astros just need to hold on a little longer. They finish up their road trip against the Minnesota Twins before wrapping up the first half with a six-game homestand against the Miami Marlins and Texas Rangers, both of whom are well below .500.
With the way Houston is playing, it could be in first place by Bastille Day.
TYLER MAHER
Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.