Springer hits 3-run HR, Horwitz adds solo HR as Blue Jays hold on to beat Astros 7-6

Updated Jul. 2, 2024 10:51 p.m. ET

Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — George Springer hit a three-run home run against his former team, Spencer Horwitz added a solo homer and the Toronto Blue Jays held on to beat the Houston Astros 7-6 on Tuesday night.

Yordan Alvarez homered and scored twice as Houston almost came back from a 7-0 deficit, but the Astros lost for just the second time in their last 12 games.

José Berríos (8-6) pitched five innings to win back-to-back starts for the first time since a three-start winning streak between April 8 and 20. The right-hander allowed five runs and five hits.

Chad Green pitched around Jeremy Peña’s leadoff double in the ninth for his third save in three chances.

Houston’s Jose Altuve had three hits but flied out to center to end it.

“We fought back,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “We gave ourselves a chance there at the end.”

Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 1 for 3 with a walk and scored twice in his return to the lineup after being scratched from Monday’s loss. Guerrero was hit on the fingers by a 96 mph fastball from Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole on Sunday.

Toronto’s Justin Turner opened the scoring with a two-out RBI single off Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti in the first inning, and the Blue Jays used two homers to add four more runs with a two-out rally in the third.

Horwitz homered off the facing of the second deck in right, and Guerrero followed with a double. Turner walked before Springer homered into Toronto’s left field bullpen. Springer’s homer was his fourth in seven games.

“That’s kind of what we’ve been missing is that big blow there with guys on base,” Toronto manager John Schneider said.

The Blue Jays are 31-6 when they score five or more.

Blue Jays rookie Addison Barger hit an RBI double in the fourth and Alejandro Kirk scored on a passed ball.

Arrighetti (4-7) allowed seven runs, six earned, and six hits in four innings.

Turner’s hit, both home runs, and Barger’s double all came on four-seam fastballs.

“I think they realized I was going to be throwing more fastballs than I have been,” Arrighetti said. “They were on time. I could have done a better job of mixing speeds to some guys.”

Horwitz saw four fastballs in his first at bat, and was anticipating the pitch when he came up in the third.

“He has a good fastball,” Horwitz said. “It’s going to feel like it’s on top of you. I definitely felt that my first at bat. I think the team saw that first time through the lineup and got on his heater pretty good second time through.”

The Astros chased Berríos with a five-run fifth. Salazar and Altuve hit RBI singles and Alvarez drilled a three-run homer on a 3-0 pitch.

ROSTER MOVES

Houston optioned IF/OF Cooper Hummel to Triple-A Sugar Land and recalled INF Grae Kessinger.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: RHP J.P. France had right shoulder surgery Monday and will miss the rest of the season, the team said.

Blue Jays: Toronto put INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa (sprained left knee) on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Monday, and recalled INF Leo Jimenez from Triple-A Buffalo. Manager John Schneider said Kiner-Falefa will need more than 10 days to recover and called him “week-to-week.”

UP NEXT

Astros RHP Ronel Blanco (8-3, 2.49 ERA), who no-hit the Blue Jays in April, is scheduled to start Wednesday night against Toronto LHP Yusei Kikuchi (4-8, 4.18).

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