Joey Loperfido hits tiebreaking 3-run HR in 11th inning as Astros beat Blue Jays 9-7

TORONTO (AP) — Joey Loperfido hit a tiebreaking home run in the 11th inning and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-7 on Tuesday.

Loperfido’s first home run of the season came off former Toronto teammate Braydon Fisher (3-3).

With automatic runner Jose Altuve at second base to begin the 11th, the Blue Jays intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez. Fisher struck out Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes before Loperfido connected.

Yainer Diaz, Cam Smith and Taylor Trammell hit consecutive home runs for Houston in the fourth. All three homers came off Toronto starter Shane Bieber.

It was the first time the Astros have hit three consecutive homers since Altuve, Alex Bregman and Alvarez did it against Texas on July 19, 2019.

Logan VanWey (1-0) gave up Kazuma Okamoto’s RBI single in the ninth and worked two innings for his first career win.

After Okamoto’s two-out single put Toronto up 6-4 in the eighth, the Astros tied it against Tyler Rogers in the top of the ninth.

Loperfido drove in the first run when Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela was called for interference with the bases loaded. Cam Smith followed with a sacrifice fly.

The blown save was Rogers’ third.

Okamoto went 3 for 4 with two walks and drove in three runs. Daulton Varsho and Luis Urias hit two-run home runs, but it wasn’t enough for the Blue Jays, who left 13 runners stranded.

Making his first start of the season, Bieber allowed four runs and nine hits, including three homers, in 3 2/3 innings.

The AL Cy Young Award winner with Cleveland in 2020, Bieber was activated off the injured list before the game. He had not pitched this season because of elbow inflammation.

Toronto’s Ernie Clement (left hip) did not play.

Up next

Blue Jays RHP Trey Yesavage (3-3, 3.76 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday against Astros RHP Mike Burrows (3-8, 5.79).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb