Toronto 12, Houston 6
When: 7:07 PM ET, Friday, July 26, 2013
Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Temperature:
71°
Umpires:
Home -
Joe West, 1B -
Adam Hamari, 2B -
Sam Holbrook, 3B -
Andy Fletcher
Attendance:
24088
By SportsDirect Inc.
Blue Jays 12, Astros 6: Edwin Encarnacion hit a pair of homers - including a grand slam - in an eight-run seventh inning as host Toronto stunned Houston.
After storming back from three separate two-run deficits, Toronto took its first lead of the game on Maicer Izturis' double down the right-field line. Jose Reyes drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the advantage, and Encarnacion - who homered to lead off the inning - drilled a 3-2 offering from Hector Ambriz on a line over the left-field wall for his sixth career grand slam.
Brett Cecil (4-1) recorded the final two outs of the seventh to earn the win while Colby Rasmus went 4-for-5 and Reyes had three hits, including a homer, and walked twice for the Blue Jays. Houston reliever Paul Clemens (4-4) was tagged for six runs in one-third of an inning to absorb the loss.
Marc Krauss' two-run shot off the top of the right-field wall - his second career home run - put Houston ahead in the second inning, but the Blue Jays responded in the third. Reyes led off with a homer to right-center and Jose Bautista added a sacrifice fly after Melky Cabrera doubled to center and advanced on a balk.
Krauss' two-run double vaulted the Astros back in front in the fourth 4-2, but Brett Lawrie's solo blast over the left-field wall trimmed the deficit and Encarnacion and Rasmus doubled two batters apart in the fifth to even the score. Houston seized its third lead of the game on Krauss' double-play groundout in the sixth, then tacked on a run in the seventh to set the stage for the final Toronto comeback.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Toronto starter R.A. Dickey surrendered five runs on seven hits over six innings, fanning eight. Houston counterpart Jordan Lyles was charged with four runs on nine hits in five innings. ... To prepare for Dickey, the Astros had radio broadcaster and former major-league knuckleballer Steve Sparks throw batting practice. Sparks posted a 59-76 record in 270 career games from 1995-2004. ... Encarnacion became the first Toronto player since Joe Carter in 1993 to hit two home runs in the same inning.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
Houston |
|
Toronto |
Jordan Lyles
|
Player |
R.A. Dickey
|
No Decision |
W/L |
No Decision |
5.0 |
IP |
6.0 |
1 |
Strikeouts |
8 |
9 |
Hits |
7 |
7.20 |
ERA |
7.50 |
Hitting
Houston |
|
Toronto |
J.D. Martinez | Player |
Colby Rasmus
|
2 |
Hits |
4 |
0 |
RBI |
1 |
0 |
HR |
0 |
3 |
TB |
6 |
.667 |
Avg |
.800 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
Houston
|
11 |
1 |
18 |
.306 |
19 |
11 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
Toronto
|
15 |
5 |
37 |
.405 |
27 |
3 |
12 |
6 |
1 |
0 |