Two critical mistakes in the eighth inning proved decisive as the Toronto Blue Jays lost 3-1 to the Houston Astros in the rubber match of their series at Rogers Centre on Wednesday night. The loss dropped Toronto's record to 39-41.
Eighth-Inning Errors Prove Costly
With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the eighth, Astros batter Joey Loperfido launched a deep fly ball that eluded Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho, allowing Loperfido to reach third base. Toronto reliever Jeff Hoffman then made an unnecessary pickoff throw that resulted in an error, permitting Loperfido to score and giving Houston a 2-1 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Blue Jays second baseman Luis Urias singled and advanced to second on a passed ball. However, George Springer hit a hard line drive to right field that Cam Smith caught at the wall. Urias, believing the ball would drop, was doubled off second base to end the inning.
Offensive Struggles Continue
Nathan Lukes provided Toronto's only run with a solo home run in the first inning, his third of the season. Daulton Varsho had two of the Blue Jays' four hits. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continued to struggle, going 0-for-3 with a walk, dropping his batting average to .277. The game ended on a successful ABS challenge by the Astros with Varsho at the plate.
Pitching and Defense
Starter Trey Yesavage pitched 5.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits but issuing five walks. He struck out five and threw a career-high 105 pitches. The announced crowd of 39,264 gave Yesavage a standing ovation as he left the mound. Tommy Nance and Jeff Hoffman followed in relief. Shortstop Andres Gimenez committed a rare error in the fifth inning, his third of the season, but it did not lead to a run.
Up Next
The Blue Jays begin a series against the Texas Rangers on Thursday at 7:07 p.m. Right-hander Kevin Gausman is scheduled to start, looking to rebound from a poor outing against the Chicago Cubs where he allowed seven runs in two innings. The Rangers will start left-hander MacKenzie Gore.
