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 Designated hitter Nolan Reimold recorded his second career
multi-homer game, and Toronto hit four home runs in a 6-5 victory
over the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Minute Maid Park.
Reimold, a late lineup addition when center fielder Colby Rasmus was
scratched an hour before first pitch, snapped a 5-5 tie with a solo
shot to left field off Astros right-hander Chad Qualls in the ninth
inning.
Reimold slugged a leadoff homer in the fifth, his first long ball of
the season.
"I felt really uncomfortable the first at-bat," Reimold said. "It's
just funny how one swing can really settle you down and turn things
around for you. That's what's happened for me tonight."
The Blue Jays (60-50) pulled even in the eighth inning when Jose
Bautista delivered a sacrifice fly that scored shortstop Jose Reyes,
who led off the frame with a single off right-hander Josh Fields.
Bautista homered in the first, his 21st, and Blue Jays catcher
Dioner Navarro clubbed his eighth homer in the sixth.
"Their four solo home runs proved to be the difference in the game,"
Astros manager Bo Porter said of the Blue Jays. "They're definitely
a power-hitting team."
Right-hander Casey Janssen recorded his 18th save for the surging
Blue Jays.
Qualls (1-3) took his second loss of the homestand for the
short-handed Astros (44-65).
Toronto rallied from deficits of 4-2 and 5-4 to claim its sixth
consecutive victory and 11th win in 13 contests. The Blue Jays trail
the first-place Baltimore Orioles by 1 1/2 games in the AL East.
"I tip my hat to the guys," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons,
whose team continues to plug away without Edwin Encarnacion, Brett
Lawrie and Adam Lind and their 42 combined homers. "We had a long
night on the plane (from Boston), they were all tired, but they
responded today."
After the trade of right-hander Jarred Cosart, the scheduled starter
on Thursday, the Astros called upon right-hander Jake Buchanan in a
pinch. Three batters in, he trailed 1-0 after hanging a 2-2
curveball that Bautista deposited into the left field seats.
Toronto doubled the lead when second baseman Ryan Goins delivered an
RBI single that scored third baseman Danny Valencia in the second
inning, but the Astros clawed back with a run in the bottom of the
second before they provided Buchanan a lead with a three-run third
inning.
Blue Jays right-hander Drew Hutchinson, yanked after three innings,
allowed outfielders Robbie Grossman and Marc Krauss to sandwich RBI
singles around a run-scoring double by Astros catcher Jason Castro.
Buchanan surrendered a run in the fifth -- his final inning -- and
departed with a 4-3 lead that the bullpen promptly surrendered.
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"I had plenty of rest since the last time I was out, so it pretty much
felt like a normal start," Buchanan said. "(Pitching coach Brent) Strom
just told me to go out there and go as far as I can go for a long as I
can go.
"I felt fine, I didn't throw that many pitches, and I felt that I could
have gone back out there. I am sure they were just wanting to be
cautious with me being on three days' rest. That's their call."
With two outs in the sixth, Navarro smacked a solo home run to right off
Astros right-hander Jose Veras, knotting the score at 4.
Fields and Qualls also came out of the Houston bullpen to allow runs.
The Astros failed to match the strong relief effort produced by the Blue
Jays. Right-hander Todd Redmond kept Houston in check while surrendering
one unearned run over 2 2/3 innings. Left-hander Brett Cecil got one
out, and right-hander Aaron Sanchez (2-0) worked two perfect innings in
advance of Jansen.
NOTES: Toronto OF Nolan Reimold's other multi-homer game was against the
Kansas City Royals for the Baltimore Orioles on May 26, 2011. ... Blue
Jays CF Colby Rasmus was a late scratch, disciplined for arriving late
to the ballpark. Rasmus entered as a defensive replacement in the
seventh inning. ... The Astros completed a six-player trade at the
non-waiver deadline, sending RHP Jarred Cosart, INF/OF Enrique Hernandez
and OF Austin Wates to the Miami Marlins in exchange for OF Jake
Marisnick, 3B Colin Moran, RHP Frances Martes and a 2015 compensation
pick. Cosart was scheduled to start Thursday night against the Blue
Jays. RHP Jake Buchanan got the last-minute start, but the Astros plan
to recall RHP Brad Peacock from Triple-A Oklahoma City to fill the
rotation spot moving forward. ... The Blue Jays recalled RHP Chad
Jenkins from Triple-A Buffalo and placed 1B/DH Dan Johnson on the 15-day
disabled list due to a left hamstring strain. ... RHP Esmil Rogers,
designated for assignment by Toronto on Sunday, was claimed off waivers
by the New York Yankees.
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