Blue Jays Top Astros 4-2 on Straw's Sacrifice Fly, Okamoto's Homer

The Toronto Blue Jays rallied from an early deficit to defeat the Houston Astros 4-2 on Monday night, using three sacrifice flies and a strong bullpen performance to return to .500 for the first time since late May.

Pinch-hitter Myles Straw delivered the go-ahead run in the seventh inning with a sacrifice fly, capping a rally that began with a double from Kazuma Okamoto. Okamoto, who also homered earlier in the game, went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, and an RBI as Toronto improved to 39-39.

Houston jumped ahead in the first inning when Jeremy Peña singled on the first pitch from Blue Jays starter Dylan Cease and scored on a one-out single by Isaac Paredes. Cease allowed two runs on three hits with four walks and eight strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, leaving the game after Jose Altuve's two-out single tied the score at 2-2 in the sixth. Braydon Fisher (3-2) earned the win by retiring four batters on six pitches.

Toronto's other two sacrifice flies came from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the fourth inning, scoring Andrés Giménez, and from Alejandro Kirk in the eighth, scoring George Springer. Louis Varland worked the ninth inning, issuing a leadoff walk to Yainer Diaz but then inducing a double play from Joey Loperfido and striking out pinch-hitter Taylor Trammell to secure his 16th save.

Astros starter Hunter Brown lasted only three innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out three and walking two. Houston reliever Enyel De Los Santos (0-2) took the loss after giving up the go-ahead run in the seventh.

Peña left the game in the sixth inning after aggravating a previous hamstring injury on a swing.