The Blue Jays got a jolt in Houston on Wednesday, and it came in a game that looked messy, tense and wide open almost from the first pitch.
Ernie Clement delivered the swing that finished it, helping Toronto outlast the Astros 5-4 in extra innings and lock up its third straight series win. It was the kind of game that kept shifting shape, with the Jays taking early punches, answering back, and surviving a wild finish that sent the night past nine innings.
Toronto’s newest arm, right-hander Jameson Taillon, was thrown right into the fire in his debut. The first inning alone took 29 pitches, and Houston loaded the bases before Taillon managed to escape without the game breaking open. Even so, the Astros looked like a team that would get to him sooner or later.
They did in the third, when Jose Altuve went deep. That blast was Taillon’s 26th home run allowed this season, and it came after he had already been tagged for three homers in his last appearance with the Cubs. Over his last two outings, he’s given up five total.
A three-run third had the feel of a rough night spiraling, but Taillon steadied himself in the fourth and finished on a cleaner note. He worked a three-up, three-down inning and capped his outing by striking out Yordan Alvarez, which at least gave him something to hang onto after such a shaky start.
The game still had plenty of life left in it. Alvarez later greeted Lee with an RBI double, though video review overturned the original call and ruled Alvarez out after he went into the bag standing up. The run counted anyway.
Toronto kept pushing, and the ending delivered its own twist. The final out came on a first-pitch flyout by Daulton Varsho, the former Jay who was dealt to the Astros earlier this week.
It was also a busy day around the roster. The Blue Jays announced they had claimed right-hander Matt Waldron, a knuckleballer, off waivers from the San Diego Padres, while transferring left-hander Patrick Corbin to the 60-day injured list.
Manager John Schneider also made a notable lineup call, leaving struggling, visibly frustrated and hobbled Vladimir Guerrero Jr. out of the starting group Wednesday.
In Other News...
Yordan Alvarez Was At The Center Of A Brutal Astros Loss
Yordan Alvarez still managed to come through in the 10th inning Sunday night, driving in a run with an RBI single that gave the Astros a chance to climb back into a tight game against Toronto. It was the kind of late, pressure-packed swing Houston has leaned on from Alvarez before, only this time the hit turned into an uneasy sequence when he tried to stretch it into a double and ended up out at second.
The Astros challenged the call and lost the review, adding another layer to a finish that already felt costly. Toronto hung on for a 5-4 win, and the result delivered Houston its first series loss since the All-Star break, a reminder that even one aggressive decision can swing an entire night. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Catch A Break As Blue Jays Star Suddenly Sits
A small bit of good fortune landed in Houstons lap when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was absent from the Blue Jays starting lineup against the Astros because of hamstring tightness. Toronto still had him available off the bench, but his day began on the sideline after he appeared uncomfortable running out a ground ball Tuesday, giving the Astros a little extra breathing room against one of the American Leagues most dangerous hitters.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Guerrero is dealing with the tightness but does not expect it to turn into an injured list situation, which keeps this more in the category of a temporary setback than a long-term concern. Even so, it comes at a time when Guerrero has been hitting below his career average and has spoken about wanting to sharpen his performance, so Toronto is watching closely while Houston can at least take the short-term advantage. [Read more 🡒]