Blue Jays 2 - 1 Astros
Final
  for this game

Jays nip Astros to avoid sweep

Aug 25, 2013 - 11:51 PM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Moises Sierra and Ryan Goins each drove in a run in the ninth inning, as Toronto overcame Houston, 2-1, in the finale of a three-game set.

Mark Buehrle (10-7) worked the first eight innings, scattering seven hits and one run while fanning seven for the Blue Jays, who avoided a sweep with a late rally and snapped a seven-game losing skid.

Casey Janssen walked two and gave up a hit in the ninth, but held on for his 23rd save.

"Wins like that have been hard to come by," said Toronto manager John Gibbons at the conclusion of a 2-8 road trip. "We were in so many games, all except the first two here, but we came up short. But to win the final one, it always feel good."

Chia-Jen Lo (0-2) was charged with both runs while recording only one out for the Astros, who had taken the first two games by scoring a combined 20 runs but came up empty when it counted.

Starter Dallas Keuchel tossed seven scoreless innings, giving up four hits and three walks while striking out two.

The Jays waited until their final turn to spring to life. Lo walked Brett Lawrie and Adam Lind added a pinch single before Munenori Kawasaki worked a pinch-hit walk to load the bases. Sierra's base on balls forced in a run, then Kevin Pillar fanned. Kevin Chapman came in but served up the go-ahead groundout to Goins.

The Astros then loaded the bases thanks to a Jonathan Villar single sandwiched around a pair of pinch-hit walks to Jason Castro and Brett Wallace. Janssen avoided further trouble by inducing a game-ending groundout from Cody Clark.

"We really did like our chances," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "We had the guys in there that we wanted but Lo just lost his command. It ended up really hurting us with his inability to throw strikes there in the ninth."

Houston picked up a run in the second on a bases-loaded double-play grounder from Jake Elmore, but couldn't help Keuchel further for the duration of his outing.

Matt Dominguez walked, then Brandon Barnes and Villar singled ahead of the game's first run.

Game Notes

Toronto won four of the seven games in the season series ... Villar led all players with three hits ... Both clubs are in action on Monday, as the Blue Jays host the Yankees in the opener of a three-game set, while the Astros travel to Chicago's south side to begin a three-game set with the White Sox.






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