TORONTO — In a tight pitchers’ duel, one swing is all it takes.
That swing came from the bat of Jeremy Peña as his fifth-inning solo homer broke up a perfect game bid and rewarded another fantastic outing from Hunter Brown in the Astros’ 3-1 win over the Blue Jays on Monday afternoon at Rogers Centre.
For six innings, Brown and Toronto starter Yariel Rodríguez went toe-to-toe, exchanging zeros and making big pitches when they needed them. Brown prevailed, keeping the Blue Jays’ resurging lineup off the scoreboard with five strikeouts, two hits and three walks in six frames for his eighth consecutive quality start.
It wasn’t until the top of the ninth, when Yordan Alvarez padded the lead with a two-run homer, that the Astros had any type of cushion to work with.
Brown’s outing wasn’t perfect, but it served as another important step in the maturation of a young pitcher on a run of success following a tough start to the season.
“We continue to trust him and give him the opportunity,” manager Joe Espada said before the win. “Because we believe in his ability to pitch and we believe he’s got the toughness to do it.”
Brown showed that toughness on Monday.
After posting a 1.16 ERA in five starts last month, Brown grinded past a Blue Jays lineup that has erupted over the past 10 days. That effort helped Houston to its 12th win in the past 15 games.
