Brown pitches 6 innings, Peña and Alvarez homer as Astros beat Blue Jays 3-1 for 10th win in 11

TORONTO (AP) — Hunter Brown pitched six shutout innings, Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez hit home runs and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Monday afternoon for their 10th win in 11 games.

After going 4-0 with a 1.16 ERA in five June starts, Brown (6-5) opened July with another solid outing. The right-hander allowed two hits, both singles. He walked three and struck out five.

“It couldn’t happen to a better guy,” Peña said. “He prepares really well and he goes out there and competes.”

Decked out in special red jerseys and caps, the Blue Jays lost on the Canada Day holiday for a second year in a row.

After Rafael Montero worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning, the Blue Jays loaded the bases against Bryan Abreu in the eighth. Abreu escaped by getting Daulton Varsho to ground out.

“You can have him against the ropes but he’s going to figure out a way to get people out,” Astros manager Joe Espada said of Abreu. “That’s just Bryan. He’s so good, his stuff is so explosive.”

Josh Hader allowed a solo home run to Ernie Clement in the ninth but finished for his 13th save in 14 chances.

Clement’s homer off Hader was his fourth of the season.

Toronto left eight runners on base, twice leaving the bases loaded. They finished 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.

“We just needed a hit in certain spots,” manager John Schneider said.

The Blue Jays used a single and two walks to load the bases with one out in the second but Brown got Clement to pop up before striking out Kevin Kiermaier.

“The first two innings I wasn’t executing at the clip I wanted to,” Brown said. “I was able to bear down and make some pitches early in an at-bat that kind of forced them to swing at some stuff.”

The Blue Jays have played 36 innings against the Astros this season and scored in just two of them. Toronto won 2-1 on April 2 when Davis Schneider hit a two-run home run off Hader in the ninth inning.

Houston’s Ronel Blanco threw a no-hitter against Toronto on April 1, and five Astros pitchers combined on a one-hit win over the Blue Jays on April 3.

Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was scratched from the lineup Monday because of pain in his right hand. Guerrero was hit on the fingers by a 96 mph fastball from Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole in the third inning of Sunday’s loss to New York.

Toronto right-hander Yariel Rodríguez retired his first 14 batters before Peña hit a first-pitch homer in the fifth inning for his sixth of the season.

“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit and put a barrel on it,” Peña said.

Rodríguez (0-3) allowed one run and two hits in a career-high 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six.

Alvarez gave the Astros some insurance with a two-run shot off Zach Pop in the ninth. The homer was his 17th.

ROSTER MOVES

Blue Jays: Toronto put catcher Danny Jansen on the paternity list and recalled catcher Brian Serven from Triple-A Buffalo.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: 2B Jose Altuve got the day off. … Right-hander Justin Verlander (neck) resumed throwing over the weekend but there is no timetable for his return, Espada said.

Blue Jays: INF Spencer Horwitz moved from second base to replace Guerrero, and Clement came in to play third. … INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa was scratched from the lineup after his left knee felt sore during pregame warmups. Kiermaier came in to play center, Varsho moved from center to left, and Davis Schneider went from left field to second.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays RHP José Berríos (7-6, 3.38 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night against Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-6, 5.68).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, right, celebrates in front of Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, left, as he crosses the plate after hitting a two-run home run in ninth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, July 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Houston Astros' Jeremy Peña (3) is congratulated by teammate Mauricio Dubón after hitting a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in fifth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, July 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Yariel Rodriguez, left, and third baseman Ernie Clement (28) watch as Houston Astros' Jeremy Peña, rright, rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in fifth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, July 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, right, is congratulated by teammate Alex Bregman, left, after they scored on his two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jaysi n ninth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, July 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier jumps to catch a pop fly by Houston Astros' Jeremy Pena during second-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, July 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Yariel Rodriguez throw against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Yariel Rodriguez fields a ground ball before throwing out Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez, right, during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Fans look on as a huge Canadian flag is unfurled before the start of a baseball game between the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Monday, July 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in ninth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, July 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown throws against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, July 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Houston Astros' Jeremy Peña hits a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in fifth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, July 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña (3) is congratulated by manager Joe Espada, left, after hitting a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in fifth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, July 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

BERLIN (AP) — Germany great Toni Kroos hopes the next game isn’t his last.

Heavyweights Germany and Spain clash at the European Championship on Friday, when the winner will advance to the semifinals.

Kroos is ending his playing career after Germany’s last game at Euro 2024. He hopes that will be the final in Berlin’s Olympiastadion. But he knows it could be as soon as Friday if Spain – the most impressive team so far – knocks out the host nation in Stuttgart.

“I’m not nostalgic at all,” Kroos said Wednesday at potentially his last press conference as a player. He said he wasn’t assuming Spain “will be my last game. So, I think we can all look forward to seeing each other again.”

Kroos has played a key role in lifting the pre-tournament gloom surrounding the German team and turning it to optimism that the hosts can go on to win Euro 2024. It would be a fitting sendoff for a player who has already signed off on a glittering club career by winning the Champions League and Spanish league with Real Madrid.

“It’s pretty difficult to plan a European Championship title but having it as a goal is of course the case,” Kroos said. “I think it will be really difficult to finish more successfully than I left it with Madrid. And now of course I’m trying to do the same here.”

Kroos retired from the national team already in 2021, after Germany lost to England in the last 16 of the pandemic-delayed Euro 2020 tournament. But one of the first things Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann did after his appointment in September 2023 was ask the cool-headed midfielder if he’d consider returning to help Germany’s title bid in its home tournament.

Fortunately for Germany – which was really struggling with two defeats and a draw from Nagelsmann’s first four games – Kroos said yes.

It’s arguably the single biggest factor in the team’s upturn as Kroos’ experience and calmness under pressure gave confidence to the players around him.

The 34-year-old returned to help Germany beat France and the Netherlands in friendlies in March, and Greece before Euro 2024, then he helped Germany progress from the group stage with wins over Scotland and Hungary, and a draw with Switzerland.

Kroos maintained a calm, assured presence in a turbulent win over Denmark in the last 16, helping Germany get further than it had in the last edition.

“We’re now finally in the stages of the tournament that we really wanted to be in, and we can be happy with that,” Kroos said. “We’re motivated, however, in the team and in the locker room, to get much further. And we’re convinced we can manage that.”

Kroos will face former Real Madrid teammates Dani Carvajal, Nacho and Joselu on Friday. The latter said he wants to send him into retirement, but Kroos took it with good humor.

“I know him very well, I know how he meant it,” Kroos said. “So, I’ll let him wish and do everything I can so that it doesn’t come true.”

Kroos said his future involves kids, both his own and young players at an academy he plans to open in Madrid.

Seemingly unflappable on the field, Kroos appeared at peace with the fact that Friday’s game could be his last, comforted because the decision is not dependent on the whims of anyone else.

“There will never be anything I can do as well as playing football. And this phase will be over,” Kroos said. “On the other hand, I’m really looking forward to this new phase, because at some point this day comes for every active player. And I’d rather pick this day out for myself.”

Kroos will end his career as he played it – always in control.

AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024

Germany's Toni Kroos takes the ball to the corner during a Group A match between Switzerland and Germany at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Frankfurt, Germany, Sunday, June 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Germany's Toni Kroos shots a free kick during a round of sixteen match between Germany and Denmark at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Germany's Toni Kroos applauds fans at the end of the round of sixteen match between Germany and Denmark at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)