Game No. 87 Preview: Houston Astros vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Houston Astros (58-28) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (40-45), July 7, 2017, 6:07 p.m. CT

TV: ROOT SPORTS Southwest
Radio: KBME 790 AM, La Nueva 94.1 FM
Online: MLB.TV
Blue Jays SBNation Blog: Bluebird Banter

Pitching Matchup

RHP Charlie Morton (5-3, 4.06 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, .325 BABIP, 3.58 xFIP) vs. RHP Aaron Sanchez (0-1, 3.33 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, .254 BABIP, 4.95 xFIP)

Preview

Welp. The Houston Astros finally lost their 10th road game of the season on Thursday night. Houston hopes to triumph in the battle of starting pitchers returning from the disabled list to get back into the win column.

RHP Charlie Morton returns to the starting rotation after going on the disabled list with a right lat strain. He was placed on the 10-Day disabled list at the end May before taking a few rehab starts to test his legs.

Morton made three rehab starts to work back into form, one with Double-A Corpus Christi and two with Triple-A Fresno. He was 0-1 with a 0.87 ERA in his rehab starts, he struck out eight and walked four over 10 1/3 innings.

Before Morton was injured he was rolling on the mound, he was 3-1 with a 3.64 ERA in his five starts.

Some how in his 10-year career, this is Morton's first career start against the Blue Jays. This could be the result of Morton's previous nine years of his career were in the National League.

Four Blue Jays do have 10-plus career at-bats against Morton. Darwin Barney is 1-for-10, Chris Coghlan is 5-for-13 with three-extra base hits, Miguel Montero is 3-for-13 with seven strikeouts, and Troy Tulowitzki is 1-for-12.

RHP Aaron Sanchez also returns from the DL to make his first start for the Blue Jays. He had been dealing with a blister on his right middle finger.

Sanchez was last placed on the DL on May 20. He allowed four earned runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings in his one rehab start with Triple-A Dunedin.

Sanchez is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in four games (two starts) in his career against the Astros. Only Brian McCann has 10-plus career at-bats against Sanchez, he is 2-for-10 and two home runs. George Springer 2-for-6 with three strikeouts. Jose Altuve is 2-for-6 with a double. Carlos Beltran is 4-for-8 against Sanchez.