A little Bregman and a big inning lead Houston over Blue Jays

By: Mike Wilner - Baseball Columnist, Toronto Star Posted: 10:00 PM CDT Friday, Apr. 29, 2022 Last Modified: 10:08 PM CDT Friday, Apr. 29, 2022

Advertise with us

Three things you need to know about the Blue Jays’ 11-7 loss to Houston at Rogers Centre on Friday:

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.

Three things you need to know about the Blue Jays’ 11-7 loss to Houston at Rogers Centre on Friday:

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/04/2022 (1290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Three things you need to know about the Blue Jays’ 11-7 loss to Houston at Rogers Centre on Friday:

In the big inning

The Jays’ opponents scored as many as five runs six times in the first 20 game of the season. In the 21st game, the Astros scored five runs in the sixth inning alone.

Christopher Katsarov - THE CANADIAN PRESS
Blue Jays starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi didn’t get out of the third inning against Houston, allowing four runs on four hits. — Christopher Katsarov - THE CANADIAN PRESS Blue Jays starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi didn’t get out of the third inning against Houston, allowing four runs on four hits.

With starter Yusei Kikuchi knocked out in the third inning and Tayler Saucedo, the second man out of the bullpen, leaving because of right hip discomfort, the Jays were looking for some length out of Trevor Richards. But, pushed to a second inning of work, Richards gave up a three-run homer to rookie Jeremy Peña and a two-run shot to Yordan Álvarez.

Bombs away

The Jays put up their second-highest scoring total of the season, with the bulk of their seven runs came on two swings.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. snapped a two-week homerless drought by tattooing a Jose Urquidy offering 446 feet to left in the third inning with two runners on; and Matt Chapman hit a two-run homer in the seventh, hammering a slider from Phil Maton off the facing of the 500 level down the left-field line.

Waiting to vent

This was the Astros’ first visit to Toronto since their 2017 cheating scandal was uncovered, and the crowd of 35,066 finally got the chance to let Houston have it. With two of the three main villains absent — José Altuve is on the injured list with a bad hamstring and Carlos Correa signed with Minnesota — Alex Bregman bore the brunt of the boos, and they came cascading down on him as he came to bat in the first inning. He answered by homering off Kikuchi.

Mike Wilner is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star and host of the baseball podcast “Deep Left Field.” Follow him on Twitter: @wilnerness