(Houston) Matt Chapman drove Vladimir Guerrero Jr. home with a two-out double in the ninth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Houston Astros 4-3 on Friday night.
Posted at 12:12 a.m.
Chapman broke the tie after a slap in the left center field driveway off reliever Héctor Neris (1-1). Guerrero started from the first cushion to cross the plate.
The Blue Jays posted a third straight win as the Astros suffered a third straight loss.
Singles by Yuli Gurriel and Aledmys Díaz against Jordan Romano allowed the Houston squad to put runners on the ends after a late-nineth inning out.
Jason Castro was struck out, setting the table for JJ Matijevic, who was making his Major League debut. Romano, however, passed Matijevic in the mitt for an eighth save this season.
Tim Mayza (1-0) gave up no run in the eighth inning and took the win.
Justin Verlander was making his first start against the Blue Jays since going without a run or hit against them in Toronto on 1er September 2019. The big right-hander shut out the Blue Jays on Friday night until Raimel Tapia hit a single in the fourth inning.
Verlander allowed three runs, four hits and a walk in six innings of work.
The Astros took a 3-0 lead in the third inning on four hits and a walk. Martin Maldonado doubled and Jeremy Peña followed with a walk. Michael Brantley, Alex Bregman and Gurriel then singled out.
Toronto tied the game 3-3 in the fifth inning thanks to back-to-back homers from Santiago Espinal and Bradley Zimmer. Both solo slaps came on consecutive throws.
Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling allowed three runs and five hits in four innings at the mound.