Jose Altuve singled to break the tie in a four-run seventh inning, Yordan Alvarez hit a home run for the third game in a row, and the Houston Astros defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 9-2 on Wednesday night, marking their 11th victory in 13 games.
Houston’s Yainer Diaz reached base four times and drove in three runs as the Astros handed the struggling Blue Jays their 11th loss in 15 games.
Alvarez injured his left ankle in the first inning when he awkwardly swung at a ground ball to second base, but the designated hitter managed to reach base in his next four plate appearances.
“I got tangled up with my feet,” Alvarez explained through a translator. “Right now it’s a little tight. I think my high cleats helped because they support my ankle and prevent it from rotating too much.”
Houston manager Joe Espada was relieved that Alvarez’s injury wasn’t serious.
“I held my breath and thought, ‘Oh no,’” Espada said. “But then he had another amazing performance. He’s just a talented hitter.”
Alvarez contributed with an RBI double in the third inning, hit a solo home run in the sixth, scored after being intentionally walked in the seventh, and ended his night with another RBI double in the eighth. He finished the game 3 for 4 with three RBIs.
“Yordan is obviously a very talented player,” remarked Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “He’s hitting the ball hard all over the field.”
Alvarez now has seven home runs in 13 games played in Toronto and has homered in three consecutive games for the third time in his career.
“I made an adjustment when I first arrived here and I can feel the difference at the plate,” Alvarez noted.
Right-hander Tayler Scott (5-2) earned the win despite giving up a game-tying single to the only batter he faced. Bryan Abreu pitched a perfect seventh inning, Bryan King handled the eighth, and Rafael Montero closed out the game.
