The Toronto Blue Jays made a thrilling comeback as Tyler Heineman’s clutch 10th inning single brought in Myles Straw, securing a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s two-run single tied the game, breaking the Blue Jays’ two-game losing streak. George Springer started the scoring with a solo home run in the sixth inning.
Despite a solid effort from pitcher Shane Bieber, who struck out four batters in 5 2/3 innings, the Astros managed to score three runs. The Blue Jays bullpen, led by Jeff Hoffman (9-6), held strong the rest of the way, preventing any further runs.
In unfortunate news, star shortstop Bo Bichette was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left knee sprain. This prompted the inclusion of Ernie Clement in the lineup, with manager John Schneider mentioning that Kiner-Falefa would also be taking on some shortstop responsibilities.
Houston initially took the lead with Carlos Correa’s two-run homer in the first inning, followed by Yainer Diaz adding another run with a double in the sixth. Astros’ starter Luis Garcia had to exit the game in the second inning due to right elbow discomfort, marking just his second start post his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
The Astros bullpen, featuring AJ Blubaugh, Enyel De Los Santos, Steven Okert, Bryan King, Bryan Abreu, and Craig Kimbrel, took over from Garcia to close out the game.