Houston (AP) – Rookie Jeremy Pena hit Homer with two runs in the 10th inning to lift the Houston Astros to an 8-7 victory over Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday and avoid a breakthrough.
The Astros broke a four-game break and ended Toronto’s four-game winning streak.
Kyle Tucker was second as a one-out runner when Pena connected closer to Jordan Romano (1-0) to reach the center field. Romano realized 31 consecutive chances to save.
Pena, who will take on the role of Astros’ short stop this season after leaving Carlos Correa, made his third home run of the year.
Bo Bischet started Toronto in 10th place before Brian Abreu (1-0) overtook Vladimir Guerrero. There was one out in the inning when Lourdes Guriel Jr. doubled in the left corner of the field and made the score 7-6.
Michael Brantley hit Homer with two runs to help the Astros save a 2-4 record in their first home game of the season.
Zack Collins hit Homer with three runs in the sixth, and Gurriel added a solo home run for Toronto.
The Blue Jays had a chance to break the draw 6-all in the eighth with runners in first and second place without outs. Relief Rafael Montero fired the next two shots before Matt Chapman hit the ground, which Pena played incorrectly for a mistake that loaded the foundations.
Montero still managed to escape the traffic jam when Raimel Tapia gave up.
Astros also missed an opportunity in the eighth. Brantley doubled out with a ball that rolled past Gurriel in the left field as he slid, trying to catch. But Guriel chased the ball and threw Brantley away, trying to stretch the shot.
Santiago Espinal hit an RBI double that put Toronto 6-5 in seventh.
Juli Garyel doubled to start seventh in Houston before moving third to the wild with one out. Then Aledmys Diaz scored a single in the shallow left field to score Gurriel and equalized at 6-6.
Astros increased by 3 with two outs in the sixth.
Garcia scored five goals and five runs with six outs in six innings.
Yusei Kikuchi gave up three hits and four runs – two won – with five walks in 3 2/3 innings.
The Astros took the lead in the beginning after a mistake by Bichette helped them score two in the second.
Toronto had no baserunner until George Springer doubled to start fourth before heading to third after Bichette. The Blue Jays reduced the lead to 1 when Springer slipped on the home plate just before the Guerrero sacrifice label.
There was one and one outs in the fourth when Brantley’s two-out shot to the corner of the right field increased the lead to 4-1 and chased Kikuchi.
Lourdes Guriel sent Garcia’s first pitch in the fifth inning in the left field to reduce the lead to 4-2.
Juli Guriel doubled in the fifth and later scored when Pena made a mistake at first baseman Cavan Biggio.
COACH ROOM
Astros: 2B Jose Altowe (left hamstring strain) is improving and manager Dusty Baker said he is expected to hit the cage on Sunday and could hit the pitch on Monday. … Closer Ryan Presley (knee) looked good at throwing a live cotton workout on Sunday and could be activated early next week.
NEXT
Blue Jays: Toronto return home to open a three-game series with Boston on Monday night when Jose Berios (1-0, 6.35 ERA) opposes Red Sox RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 3.68).
Astros: Houston opened a four-game streak in Texas on Monday when left-hander Framber Valdes (1-1, 4.59) faced RHP Dane Dunning (0-1, 5.68).
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