Yordan Alvarez homers twice as Astros crush Jays

Yordan Alvarez homered twice and finished with four hits and three RBIs as the Houston Astros beat the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 in the rubber match on Wednesday.

Cristian Javier (1-0) gave up one hit on 97 pitches through five innings for the Astros, whose two wins this season have come against the Blue Jays. Houston outscored Toronto 18-0 in the victories.

Chris Bassitt (0-2) allowed two runs on nine hits while tossing 91 pitches in 4 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays.

The Astros outhit the Blue Jays 15-1.

Houston had a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the first. Yainer Diaz singled to the left to load the bases but Jon Singleton flied out to left field to strand the runners.

After Jose Altuve flied out to center to start the third inning, Alvarez connected to center field for his first home run of the season, giving the Astros a 1-0 lead.

Houston loaded the bases again in the third, but Chas McCormick flied out to center to end the inning.

Altuve walked with two out in the fourth and Alvarez doubled to right field, bringing Altuve home to make it 2-0.

The Astros blew the game open in the fifth. Alex Bregman walked to start the inning and moved to third on a single by Diaz, giving the Astros runners on the corners with nobody out. Singleton flied out to shallow left for the first out, marking the end of the night for Bassitt.

McCormick's single to left field off relief pitcher Nate Pearson drove in Bregman to push the lead to 3-0. Jeremy Pena singled home Diaz to extend it to 4-0.

Tim Mayza took over in the sixth but fared no better. Alvarez led off the inning with his second home run of the night, again to center field, to make it 5-0.

Pena added a two-run shot to center in the seventh and Altuve homered to the left-field stands for an 8-0 lead.