Taylor Trammell clubbed a three-run homer, Hayden Wesneski delivered a quality start and the Houston Astros evened their three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 7-2 win on Tuesday.
The Astros were victorious for the 12th time in 14 games behind Wesneski (2-0) and a four-run fifth inning, a midgame rally that enabled Wesneski to record his second win in as many starts after missing the previous 14 months following Tommy John surgery.
Wesneski faced the minimum in the second and sixth innings, and while the Blue Jays managed baserunners in the first, third and fourth, it wasn’t until the fifth frame that Toronto broke through.
Myles Straw, who doubled with one out in the third, was the lone baserunner to reach scoring position against Wesneski until he produced an RBI triple that plated Andres Gimenez with one out in the fifth. Gimenez singled before Straw hit a sharp line drive to center field that sliced the Astros’ two-run lead in half. During the next at-bat, Wesneski uncorked a wild pitch that scored Straw to tie it.
Wesneski retired Nathan Lukes and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to close the fifth, and negated a one-out walk to George Springer in the sixth by getting Alejandro Kirk to ground into an inning-ending double play. Wesneski allowed two runs on four hits and two walks in six innings.
Toronto rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage worked two scoreless innings before departing with left knee discomfort while warming up for the bottom of the third. Right-hander Chad Dallas (1-1) entered in relief and stranded two baserunners in the third before the Astros rallied an inning later.
Four consecutive batters reached with two outs in the fourth. Yainer Diaz and Cam Smith recorded run-scoring singles in succession to plate Jose Altuve (single) and Trammell (walk) and supply the Astros a 2-0 lead. After Toronto pulled even in the fifth, the Astros struck again.
Altuve gave the Astros a 3-2 lead with an RBI single that scored Yordan Alvarez, who opened the frame with a single to right. Trammell drilled Dallas’ first-pitch curveball 388 feet to right field for his sixth homer and a 6-2 lead. Altuve capped his three-hit game with an RBI single in the seventh.
–Field Level Media
