Brandon Belt had a tiebreaking RBI single, José Berríos pitched six innings to win his third straight decision and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Thursday night.
Alejandro Kirk added an RBI double and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached base twice as the Blue Jays took three of four from the Astros and won the season series 4-3.
Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez left after one at-bat because of a sore right oblique. Alvarez grounded out to first base in the first and was replaced at DH by Corey Julks when his turn came up again in the third.
Julks went 1 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout.
Berríos (6-4) allowed two runs and four hits, walked two and struck out one. Yimi Garcia worked the seventh, Erik Swanson pitched the eighth and Jordan Romano finished for his 17th save in 20 chances.
Toronto’s victory denied Astros left-hander Framber Valdez a fourth consecutive winning start. Valdez (6-5) allowed three runs and four hits in five innings. He walked four and struck out five.
Houston took a 2-0 lead in the second. Alex Bregman led off with his ninth home run, and a second run scored when Jake Meyers grounded into a bases-loaded double play.
Toronto took advantage of a trio of walks by Valdez to take the lead with a three-run fifth. Valdez tried to turn a double play on Matt Chapman’s bases-loaded grounder, but Chapman was safe at first as Daulton Varsho scored. Kirk followed with an RBI double and Chapman scored on Belt’s single, but Kirk was thrown out at home plate to end the inning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: OF Kevin Kiermaier was hit on the left wrist by a pitch in the second. He stayed in to play defense in the third but was replaced by Varsho in the fourth. X-rays did not reveal a fracture.
UP NEXT
Astros: RHP Cristian Javier (7-1, 2.84) starts Friday as Houston begins a three-game series at Cleveland. LHP Logan Allen (3-2, 2.76) goes for the Guardians.
Blue Jays: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-2, 4.40) starts Friday as Toronto opens a three-game series against Minnesota. RHP Sonny Gray (4-1, 2.15) starts for the Twins.
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