Kazuma Okamoto homers and Blue Jays' bullpen shuts the door in 4-2 victory over Astros

TORONTO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Myles Straw drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning with one of Toronto's three sacrifice flies, and Kazuma Okamoto homered to help the Blue Jays beat the Houston Astros 4-2 on Monday night.

Louis Varland issued a leadoff walk to Yainer Diaz in the ninth, but Joey Loperfido grounded into a double play two pitches later. Varland then struck out pinch-hitter Taylor Trammell to secure his 16th save.

Toronto (39-39) got back to .500 for the first time since May 29 at the start of a 10-game homestand, the team’s longest this season.

Jeremy Pena singled on the first pitch from Blue Jays starter Dylan Cease and scored on a one-out single by Isaac Paredes to put the Astros up 1-0 in the first. Cease loaded the bases before getting a double-play grounder from Diaz to limit the damage in a 26-pitch inning.

Peña left in the sixth after aggravating a previous hamstring injury on a swing.

Cease allowed two runs and three hits with four walks in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out eight and retired 14 in a row before issuing one-out walks to Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker in the sixth. Paredes lined out to left field, but Jose Altuve tied it at 2 with a two-strike single on Cease’s 110th and final pitch.

Braydon Fisher (3-2) entered and retired Diaz on a comebacker. Fisher got four outs on six pitches to earn the win.

Okamoto tied it 1-all when he led off the second against Hunter Brown with his 17th homer. Brown left after three innings and 85 pitches in his fourth start this season and second since coming off the injured list.

Enyel De Los Santos (0-2) gave up Daulton Varsho's infield single and Okamoto's double with one out in the seventh before Straw lofted his sacrifice fly against Bryan King.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in Andres Gimenez with a sac fly in the fourth to give the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead. Alejandro Kirk's sac fly in the eighth scored George Springer to make it 4-2.

Brice Matthews and Alvarez singled off Tyler Rogers in the eighth before Walker grounded into a double play. Rogers walked Paredes but retired Altuve to keep it 3-2.

Up next

Astros RHP Peter Lambert (6-4, 3.23 ERA) starts Tuesday opposite Blue Jays RHP Shane Bieber, making his first start this season.

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