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Grossman, Astros pound Blue Jays

Aug 24, 2013 - 3:18 AM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Robbie Grossman hit a two-run home run and drove in four as the Houston Astros took a 12-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays to open a three-game series.

L.J. Hoes, Matt Dominguez and Brett Wallace each scored three runs for the Astros, who had lost four of five coming into the contest. Jordan Lyles (6-6) gave up four runs on 10 hits over 7 1/3 innings to get the win.

Brett Lawrie hit a two-run homer, while Edwin Encarnacion and J.P. Arencibia added solo shots for the Blue Jays, who have dropped their past six games. Todd Redmond (1-2) was charged with eight runs -- seven earned -- on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings to take the loss.

The teams exchanged runs in the first inning as Encarnacion hit his 32nd home run of the season in the Toronto half, while Jose Altuve doubled home a run for Houston in the bottom half.

Dominguez led off the second with his 18th homer of the year and Houston made it a 3-1 game in the third as Hoes scored on an Altuve single that saw a bad throw from Redmond.

Toronto got one back in the fourth on Arencibia's 20th home run of the year, but the Astros blew the game open in the home half.

Brandon Barnes singled in a run with men on second and third, and Jonathan Villar followed with a two-run triple. Grossman followed with a sacrifice fly and Jason Castro later tripled to drive in another run for an 8-2 lead.

It was 10-2 in the fifth inning as Villar brought in a run on a double play, and Grossman singled in another runner.

Grossman's two-run home run in the seventh made it a 12-2 contest, while Lawrie's two-run shot in the eighth accounted for the final score.

Game Notes

Houston batted 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position ... The Blue Jays took three of four from the Astros in Toronto in late July ... Toronto placed pitcher Aaron Loup on the paternity list on Friday, while Houston placed catcher Max Stassi on the 7-day concussion disabled list and selected the contract of catcher Cody Clark from Double-A Corpus Christi.