Toronto @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 31, 2014 ) Toronto 6, Houston 5

The Toronto Blue Jays failed to get anything big done at the trade deadline but might not need any outside pieces if Nolan Reimold can become a fixture in the lineup. Reimold and the Blue Jays will look for their seventh straight win when they visit the Houston Astros on Friday. Reimold hit his first two home runs of the season in Thursday’s opener, including a go-ahead blast in the ninth inning that helped Toronto to its 11th win in 13 games.

The Astros did make a big deal at the deadline, further bolstering a prospect pool that is the envy of many organizations in a six-player deal with the Miami Marlins. That trade, which netted 2013 No. 6 overall pick Colin Moran, is about setting the team up for the future more than helping in 2014. The Blue Jays are all-in for a postseason berth in 2014 and continue to keep the pressure on first-place Baltimore in the American League East by averaging better than six runs in the last 13 contests.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, RSN (Toronto), CSN Houston

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH J.A. Happ (8-5, 4.58 ERA) vs. Astros RH Collin McHugh (4-9, 3.45)

Happ tossed six scoreless innings in a win at Boston on July 22 but followed it up by surrendering a pair of home runs among three earned runs in a no-decision at New York on Sunday. The 31-year-old had gone five appearances without surrendering a home run. Happ, who played for Houston for parts of three different seasons, is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA in two career starts against the Astros.

McHugh (finger) made his first start since July 6 on Sunday and suffered his sixth straight loss, allowing four runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old received a total of eight runs of support in those last six starts. McHugh is facing Toronto for the first time and is 2-6 with a 4.75 ERA in eight home starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Reimold has five extra-base hits in his last three starts.

2. Houston 2B Jose Altuve went 0-for-4 to snap a 12-game hitting streak on Thursday but still leads the AL with a .339 batting average.

3. Toronto C Dioner Navarro has recorded multiple hits in six of his last 10 games.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 5, Astros 4