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Blue Jays rely on Redmond in opener with Astros

Aug 23, 2013 - 2:57 PM (Sports Network) - Journeyman right-hander Todd Redmond makes his eighth start of the season and ninth of his career on Friday night when the Toronto Blue Jays visit the Houston Astros to open a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.

Now 28 years old, Redmond is with his fifth major league organization since being drafted in the 39th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2004.

Redmond was traded to Atlanta in 2008 and to Cincinnati in 2012 before making his big-league debut with one start for the Reds.

He was subsequently waived and selected by the Baltimore Orioles, then waived again before signing with Toronto on March 22.

Redmond began the season with three bullpen stints on May 30, 31 and July 3, and has since started seven consecutive times while gradually paring his earned run average from 3.52 to 3.32,

He allowed three hits and one run in six innings against Houston, striking out 10 batters in a game the Blue Jays ultimately won, 2-1.

Getting the call for Houston will be righty Jordan Lyles, who was 13 years old when Redmond was drafted and signed by the Pirates.

Now 22, Lyles began the season with 19 straight starts before tossing 2 1/3 innings in relief against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Aug. 18 and being credited with a hold in a 7-5 win.

Lyles dropped five decisions over eight starts between June 23 and Aug. 6, allowing at least eight hits in four of the starts and failing to pitch six innings six times.

He rebounded with a 5-4 win at Oakland on Aug. 13 in which he allowed a run on five hits in seven innings.

Lyles got a no-decision at Toronto on July 26 after giving up four runs on nine hits in five innings.

On Thursday in New York, Andy Pettitte tossed six innings of one-run ball and Curtis Granderson smacked a solo homer in the Yankees' 5-3 win over the Blue Jays to sweep a four-game set.

J.A. Happ (3-3) surrendered four runs on three hits and five walks over 5 1/3 frames for Toronto, which has dropped five consecutive contests.

Meanwhile in Texas on Wednesday, Elvis Andrus hit a sacrifice fly to score pinch-runner Adam Rosales with the decisive run in the ninth inning to boost the red-hot Rangers to a 5-4 triumph over the Astros.

Jason Castro went 2-for-3 with a homer and scored three times, but the Astros fell to 5-15 this month. Erik Bedard allowed five hits and three runs -- two earned -- over the first 4 1/3 innings.

"It's always tough," Castro said. "We did a good job rallying back to get back into that game. Obviously that's not how you want to see it end, but we still try to take as many positives as we can."

The Blue Jays won three of the first four games played with the Astros this season between July 25 and 28. Houston had won five of the previous six over two series in 2005 and 2011.