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HOUSTON -- Despite striking out 61 times and only scoring 10 runs in four games, the Toronto Blue Jays found a way to take three of four from the Houston Astros.J.A. Happ won his ninth consecutive decision, Edwin Encarnacion reached 30 home runs for the fifth straight season and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Houston Astros 4-1 on Thursday night for their eighth win in 11 games.Its been a tough place for us to play; we won three games and had a chance to win all four of them, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. So we feel good about that. Not a lot of offense on either side but I think thats because the pitching was so good on both sides. We got some big hits and won some close games.Happ (15-3), who already has set his career high for wins, retired 12 of his first 13 batters and allowed one run and four hits in six innings. He is 9-0 with a 2.49 ERA in 10 starts since losing at Detroit on June 6.Its nice to have a couple quick innings, Happ said. Hopefully the less pitches they see the better youre going to be for the later at-bats when youre turning the lineup over or trying to at least two, three or four times. I think that was huge to be able to have something left to get out of that jam.Happ struck out six and walked none, and Joaquin Benoit, Jason Grilli and Roberto Osuna completed the five-hitter. After walking rookie Alex Bregman leading off the ninth, Osuna struck out Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Evan Gattis for his 24th save in 26 chances.After being given a day off Wednesday, Bregman was 1 for 4 with a sixth-inning single. The second overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft, is hitting .056 (2 for 36) since he was brought up July 25.Houston pitchers struck out a major league-record 61 in the four-game series, three more than the previous mark set by Cincinnati pitchers against San Diego in 2008. Astros pitchers set a record with 52 strikeouts in a three-game series against Baltimore from May 24-26.Mike Fiers (7-5) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings, walking none and tying his second high with seven strikeouts.Devon Travis doubled leading off the first inning for the first of his three hits and scored on Josh Donaldsons groundout -- the first run in the series that did not score on a solo home run.I felt good tonight, Travis said. I found out once again for the millionth time that this is a really humbling game. Its always great to come out here and help your team with a ball game.On the previous pitch, Smoak took an 0-2 curveball on the low, outside corner and stepped toward the dugout thinking it was strike three, only to have plate umpire Todd Tichenor call the pitch a ball.Toronto doubled the lead in the fifth when Justin Smoak swung over a curveball in the dirt for strike three and the ball hit off Gattis and bounced away for a wild pitch that allowed Russell Martin to score from third.Tyler White hit a run-scoring double in the bottom half for his first RBI since June 10.The Astros have lost eight of their last 10 games, getting outscored 47-21.We all hate it collectively because we dont like going through this rut, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. I think the guys are handling it like pros. We believe in this group and they believe in themselves, but sometimes, you need to have a good day to realize all the work and extra conversations are worth it. Its the big leagues and its a game of adjustments -- its not a try-hard league.Travis singled in a run against Will Harris in the eighth, and Encarnacion connected against James Hoyt in the ninth for his 298th home run.It feels good, Encarnacion said about being close to 300. I know its going to happen but I wish it could happen with people on base so we could win some games.TRAINERS ROOMBlue Jays: SS Troy Tulowitzki went 1 for 4 after missing three games after breaking his right thumb when hit by a pitch from Baltimores Chris Tillman on Sunday.Astros: INF Marwin Gonzalez (right hand soreness) was held out of the starting lineup but pinch hit in the seventh inning and grounded out. Gonzalezs right-handed swing is less comfortable than left-handed swing, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. ... Luis Valbuena (right hamstring strain) is taking part in any baseball activity but continues daily treatment ... INF Carlos Gomez (right hamstring strain) was 0 for 2 with two strikeouts as the designated hitter after not playing in five of the last six games.UP NEXTBlue Jays: LHP Francisco Liriano (6-11), acquired from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, is to make his Toronto debut on Friday at Kansas City.Astros: LHP Dallas Keuchel (6-11) is slated to start at home Friday against Texas. Cheap Jerseys From China . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. http://www.cheapjerseysfinish.com/ . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Jerseys NFL Wholesale . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. Wholesale Stitched Jerseys . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. Coach Shane Flanagan has identified stopping rampaging North Queensland back-rower Jason Taumalolo as key to Cronullas chances of progressing to the NRL grand final.The Sharks recognise that the defensive disruption caused by Taumololos bullocking charges so often gives master playmaker Johnathan Thurston added space to work his magic for the defending champions.If they can blunt Taumololo in Friday nights preliminary final at Allianz Stadium they will go a long way to advancing to their first premiership decider in a unified competition in almost 40 years.But thats no small task with Taumololo coming off his man of the match performance in the epic semi-final win over Brisbane and being named the NRLs best player in 2016 as voted on by his peers.He is playing some great footy, Flanagan said at the Sharks captains run on Thursday.We need to get up on him, we need to cut his time down so he is not coming at us, we are going at him.But that is a challenge in itself, the play the ball before cant be quick and we cant be sitting on our heels.He is a big man coming at you with speed and footwork. You need to be going at him rather than have him coming at you.Veteran Sharks skipper Paul Gallen , who will return from a back injury on Friday, has been mentioned as the player responsible for stopping his opposing lock Taumalolo. But Flanagan insisted it needed to be a team effort.It is everyones job, he said.He will carry the ball in the middle and carry it towards our edges sometimes. It is up to our whole forward pack to stop him.Sharks forwards Sam Tagataese and Joseph Paulo did not take part in the captains run and will miss the clash as their recoveries from respective shoulder and knee injuries continue.If the Sharks make the grand final, Flanagan said Tagataese and Paulo would be available.Cowboys co-captain Thurston hhas recovered from the illness he took into the win over Brisbane and centre Kane Linnett returns from a hamstring injury.ddddddddddddLinnets return Javid Bowen to the wing and pushes Kalyn Ponga out of the visitors side.Cowboys coach Paul Greens major concern is how his players have recovered from their extra-time win over Brisbane as they face a Sharks team that earned an extra weeks rest.I think its probably more physical, mentally the boys are good, Green said in Sydney on Thursday.Theyre excited about playing this time of year but no doubt Friday nights game, it was 90 minutes and pretty epic, it took a fair it out of them.We wont really know how theyve responded until we get to the game. At this point in time weve managed the week really well and the boys are feeling pretty good at this stage.Flanagan backed out-of-sorts halfback Chad Townsend to bounce back from being substituted in the qualifying win over Canberra.KEY STATS* The Sharks have struggled with the Cowboys in the past six seasons, winning just five of 14 matches since 2011, although three of those wins have come in the past five games.* The Cowboys make more metres than any other team in the competition (1524 per game), while conceding the third fewest (1365 per game).The Sharks make the third most metres (1494 per game) and concede the fewest (1316 per game).* The Sharks have an unhappy record in grand final qualifiers, winning just one of nine since making the 1978 grand final, the 1997 Super League preliminary final against Canberra.* The Cowboys have a horrible finals record at Allianz Stadium. They won their first final there in 2005 (24-16 v Storm) but have gone on to lose their next five.Source: Fox Sports Stats ' ' '