Castro stars as Astros take down Blue Jays
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Jason Castro finished 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs, scored three times and drove in three, as Houston upended Toronto, 8-5, in the second edition of a three-game set.
Brandon Barnes collected two hits and drove in two runs for the Astros, who have taken the first two in the series after being swept by Texas. L.J. Hoes and Robbie Grossman also knocked in a run apiece.
Brad Peacock (3-4) gave up four runs on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks over 5 2/3 innings.
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Kevin Pillar slugged a three-run homer and Edwin Encarnacion added a solo shot for the Blue Jays, who skidded to their seventh consecutive defeat.
Selected from Triple-A Buffalo prior to the contest, Chien-Ming Wang (1-2) lasted only three innings, and was charged with four hits and five runs -- four earned -- in his first start since July 2.
Castro went deep once more, this time off Chad Jenkins with two down in the seventh, and the Astros were up 8-4.
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Toronto crept within three in the eighth, as Encarnacion walked with one down, moved up on an Adam Lind single, went to third on Brett Lawrie fielder's choice grounder and scored on a J.P. Arencibia double.
Chia-Jen Lo worked around a one-out single from Pillar to record his second save.
Houston took the lead in the home second. Castro led off with a double, advanced on a one-out Brett Wallace single and both came in when Barnes followed with a double. Barnes moved up on a wild pitch and scored when Jays shortstop Jose Reyes threw wild to first on a Jonathan Villar grounder.
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Hoes worked a leadoff walk in the third and Castro's shot to right made it 5-0 for the Astros.
It was 7-0 for the hosts in the following frame after RBI doubles from Grossman and Hoes.
Toronto finally responded in the fifth, as Anthony Gose and Ryan Goins singled with one out and came in on a three-run shot from Pillar. Encarnacion's leadoff homer in the sixth brought the Jays within 7-4.
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Game Notes
Castro notched his third career multi-homer game and second this season, after a similar effort on May 25 against Oakland ... The Jays also recalled Jenkins from Double-A New Hampshire and transferred infielder Maicer Izturis to the 60-day disabled list.