Astros get Liriano from Blue Jays to bolster rotation

Francisco Liriano is joining the Astros after the Toronto Blue Jays dealt the former All-Star left-hander for Houston outfielders Nori Aoki and Teoscar Hernandez before Monday's non-waiver trade deadline.

Liriano, 33, is 6-5 with a 5.88 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 18 starts for the Blue Jays this season. He reportedly will join the Astros on Tuesday.

The Dominican earned his lone All-Star selection in 2006, when he posted a 12-3 record with a 2.16 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 28 appearances (16 starts).

Liriano is a two-time Comeback Player of the Year, earning the award with the Twins in 2010 (14-10, 3.62 ERA, 201 strikeouts) and with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013 (16-8, 3.02 ERA, 163 strikeouts).

Over 12 major league seasons, Liriano is 102-97 with a career 4.15 ERA and 1,631 strikeouts in 303 outings (274 starts) between the Twins, Chicago White Sox, Pirates and Blue Jays.

The move comes at a good time for Houston as the team placed right-hander Lance McCullers (7-3, 3.92 ERA) on the 10-day disabled list with back discomfort on Monday.

Aoki, 35, hit .272 with two home runs and 19 RBIs in 71 games with the Astros.

Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Hernandez hit .279 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs over 79 games with Triple-A Fresno.

Astros’ Aoki singles in 7th to break up A’s no-hit bid

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Nori Aoki singled off reliever Liam Hendricks leading off the seventh inning Saturday, the first hit for the Houston Astros against the Oakland Athletics.

Sean Manaea and Ryan Dull had combined to pitch six hitless innings.

Manaea walked his first three batters in the sixth inning, then allowed two runs when Carlos Correa’s bouncer glanced off the glove of shortstop Adam Rosales, and center fielder Jaff Decker overran the ball for a second error.

Manaea walked five and struck out six. Dull struck out Carlos Beltran, reloaded the bases with a walk to Brian McCann and got pinch-hitter Marwin Gonzalez to ground into an inning-ending double play.