HOUSTON -- Having dropped consecutive series for the first time since early June, the Houston Astros will open a critical seven-game homestand starting Monday night against the Toronto Blue Jays with an injury-ravaged roster contributing to their slump.After losing two of three at home to the New York Yankees, the Astros (55-49) were swept in Detroit, bookending a demoralizing 3-2 loss on Saturday night with two blowout losses.Houston also lost third baseman Luis Valbuena and center fielder Carlos Gomez to right hamstring strains on consecutive days and will learn of the status of utility infielder Marwin Gonzalez on Monday. Gonzalez has been sidelined by hand soreness.The Astros have lost five of six games and, after clawing to within 2 1/2 games of the Texas Rangers last week, dropped six games behind in their pursuit of the American League West pennant.The opener against Toronto could be influenced by more roster flux. Right-hander Doug Fister is slated to start but might land on the paternity list in anticipation of the birth of his first child. That situation facilitated the arrival on Sunday of right-hander Joe Musgrove (7-4, 2.74 ERA in the minors this year), who could make his major league debut.Were still in a holding pattern, Astros manager A.J. Hinch told MLB.com. This may be a photo finish for the game tomorrow. Until my phone lights up with a text or a call from (Fister), its sort of status quo.Right-hander Marcus Stroman (8-4, 4.92) will get the start for the Blue Jays. Stroman was at his best in July, finishing 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA in five starts, notching 30 strikeouts against four walks in 34 innings.Stroman is 0-1 with a 15.00 ERA in his career against the Astros, having surrendered five runs, seven hits and one walk with one strikeout in three innings in his lone start against them.Having assumed the role of staff ace after the offseason departure of left-hander David Price, Stroman has endured an inconsistent year, one that took a positive turn in July when he posted his best numbers to date.The Blue Jays (59-46) briefly surged into first place in the AL East before dropping their series finale against the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 in 12 innings on Sunday. The loss was their first against the Orioles after a five-game series winning streak and capped a month in which Toronto finished 16-8, its best record in any month this season.Locked in a battle with the Orioles and Red Sox for the AL East title while also fending off a host of contenders, including the Astros, in the wild-card chase, the Blue Jays have been subject to countless rumors as the trading deadline nears. And while the recent additions of right-hander Joaquin Benoit and outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. are likely to provide a lift, they dont preclude Toronto from doing more.To be honest with you, I dont think about it too much, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told MLB.com of the rampant trade rumors. Weve already made a couple of deals, so you never know. Everybodys rumored to be going here or going there, but you dont hear about anybody out in that room. Cheap Nike College Jerseys . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Cheap Nike Football Jerseys . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. http://www.cheapjerseysnike.com/ . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Surrey 260 for 6 (Burns 101) v Hampshire Scorecard Right now, it takes a fair bit to get Surrey fans to grumble. They are a team on the up, with a cup final a week Saturday and their relegation fears all but eased. They have much of the brightest talent in the land, and a seam attack suddenly the envy of the shires. Here, they had a pretty good day on a pitch that was lively from ball one. One of those young thrusters scored a ton and, having been invited to bat without the tossing of a coin, they are on their way to carving out a match-shaping score.But grumble they sure did. They grumbled because three times, on a gloomy but cricketable late season Tuesday, the umpires took the players from the field for bad light. Each time, the floodlights were on. On the first two, the conditions appeared fine and the umpires remained on the field with the conditions barely seeming to have improved. The third, at around 5.15 and with the new ball due, proved terminal.As always, the Oval had a healthy crowd (that should not be taken for granted) and their grumbling - and the booing, and the heckling - was not without reason. These were people who pay their money to watch cricket. Vital points, for both sides, were at stake. At a brilliantly equipped Test ground, with the floodlights on, neither did batting feel dangerous (on the first two occasions, Liam Dawson was bowling his left-arm orthodox), nor did a fielder fail to pick up the ball.Umpiring is a thankless and tricky task, and fans are generally understanding of this, but taking a generous light reading shortly after lunch on the first day - and thus setting the benchmark for the rest of the match - is self-destructive. Those fans grumbled that they would not be going off if the game was on TV, and were quick to remind the umpires that they had paid for this displeasure. Some announced loudly that they would not be returning on Wednesday because well, whats the point?It seemed one of those regular reminders that through all its troubles, county cricket often fails to help itself. Sixteen unbowled overs may not seem much, but if this is the set precedent, then fans of the county game should not expect to see too much cricket this September.Through the gloom shone Rory Burns, who made his second Championshiip century of the season, after a far simpler one came in the reverse fixture at the Ageas Bowl in July.dddddddddddd There are many reasons why Surrey have flown up the table - the end of Sam Currans schooling and Stuart Meakers relocated zip among them - but the elegant solidity Burns, the vice-captain, has offered from the top of the order has proved vital.These were tough runs. The pitch was fresh and the humidity helped the ball move in the air; Gareth Batty, Burns believed, would have bowled first, and 350 seems a very fine score.It took Burns 16 balls to score a run and he appeared relaxed about regularly being beaten outside off-stump. Burns unorthodox, crouched stance - unlike Eoin Morgan, that crouch seems to get deeper the better he bats - with a little glance to midwicket as the bowler approaches the crease, may seem peculiar, but it produces an array of stylish strokes. He pulls and cuts powerfully and with placement (Hampshire, just as they had at the Ageas, fed these strengths), while his work off his pads is brutal.His century came shortly after the second delay for light, with a pull for six beating the three men set for the stroke (a heart in the mouth moment, he said) followed by a scampered single to mid-off. Another pull, this time with a tamer top-edge, found one of those three men.Burns last and most fruitful stand - 76 - was with Ben Foakes, who was capped by Surrey at lunch played beautifully straight for his unbeaten 47, but four others had come and gone before. A brilliant legside catch by Lewis McManus did for Dominic Sibley, a ball after he was hit amidships, while both Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies fell to balls that got big just as they were beginning to purr. Arun Harinath carelessly slapped to square-leg.Late on, Sam Curran became Dawsons first wicket, caught off bat and pad. The left-arm spinner, who seems increasingly likely to tour the subcontinent with England even though that was just his 13th wicket of the season, toiled hard but without great flight or marked turn. 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