Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Astros batter Blue Jays 19-1 for 60th win

TORONTO — Carlos Correa homered twice and drove in a career-high five runs as the Houston Astros romped into the All-Star break, battering the Toronto Blue Jays 19-1 Sunday.

The runaway leaders in the AL West became just the fifth team in the last 40 years to reach 60 wins before the All-Star Game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. They joined the 1998 Yankees, 2001 Mariners, 2003 Braves and this year’s Los Angeles Dodgers, who got there Saturday.

At 60-29, Houston heads into the break with a whopping lead in a division where no one else is over .500.

A day after his career-high 15-game hitting streak ended, Correa had four hits. The All-Star shortstop hit the 20-home run mark with his second of the day for his fifth career multihomer game and second this season.

Fellow All-Star Jose Altuve, Yuli Gurriel and Evan Gattis also homered for Houston. Altuve had three hits for the fifth consecutive game — he became the ninth major leaguer to do so in more than a century, and the first since George Brett’s record-tying six-game streak for Kansas City in 1976.

Gattis drove in four runs with two hits in Houston’s most-lopsided win of the season.

Brad Peacock (7-1) pitched six innings of shutout ball, holding the Blue Jays to five hits while walking five.

Ezequiel Carrera homered with two outs in the Toronto ninth. The drive denied Houston the chance to top the largest shutout win in team history, 15-0 at Montreal on April 26, 1998.

The Astros hit three home runs in the second against J.A. Happ (3-6), the third time this season they’ve had at least three in an inning.

Gurriel got the Astros rolling with his 11th, followed by back-to-back home runs from Altuve and Correa after third baseman Josh Donaldson’s error extended the inning.

Happ lasted four innings, matching his shortest outing of the season and picking up his second loss against Houston in eight starts against his former team. The left-hander gave up seven hits and six runs.

MOM KNOWS BEST

On Aaron Sanchez bobblehead day, the Toronto right-hander’s mom induced laughter around the Rogers Centre pregame by shaking off her the first signal from her son, who was doing the catching duties, during the ceremonial first pitch.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

The Blue Jays lost by 10 or more runs for the fourth time this season, with all four coming at home. They had four such games all of last season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: Manager A.J. Hinch announced that former AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel will likely have one or two minor league rehab starts after the All-Star break before returning. The left-hander, who successfully threw off a mound before the game, has been sidelined since June 2 with a neck injury.

UP NEXT

Astros: RHP Charlie Morton (6-3, 3.82) makes his second start following his return from the disabled list on Friday as Houston hosts Minnesota on Friday.

Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (0-2, 4.85) will be first up for Toronto following the All-Star break when the Blue Jays visit Detroit on Friday.