Blue Jays 7, Astros 2
TORONTO -- Right-hander Drew Hutchison pitched into the seventh inning and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Houston Astros, 7-2, on Saturday to extend their winning streak to a season-best four games.
Hutchison (5-1) allowed six hits, one walk and one run while striking out five in 6 1/3 innings, and center fielder Kevin Pillar had two hits and two runs batted in for the Blue Jays, who will try for a sweep in the three-game series on Sunday.
Shortstop Jonathan Villar hit his first home run of the season for the Astros, who have lost three in a row.
Astros left-hander Brett Oberholtzer (0-1) allowed six hits, three walks and four runs (two earned) and had two strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.
It was Oberholtzer's third start of the season after two stints on the disabled list because of a blister on his left index finger.
The Blue Jays (27-30) scored a run in the first on a single by designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, scoring right fielder Jose Bautista, who walked with two out and stole second.
The Blue Jays added three runs in the second.
Left fielder Danny Valencia doubled to center and catcher Dioner Navarro reached first base on his grounder to shortstop when first baseman Marwin Gonzalez failed to touch the bag. Pillar followed with an RBI single.
Second baseman Ryan Goins sacrificed the runners to second and third. Shortstop Jose Reyes singled in one run and third baseman Josh Donaldson hit a sacrifice fly to right.
The Astros (34-23) cut the lead to 4-1 in the third. Gonzalez and Villar singled. Right fielder George Springer grounded into a double play before second baseman Jose Altuve flared an RBI single to left center.
First baseman Chris Colabello led off the fifth with a double to right against right-handed reliever Jake Buchanan to extend his career-best hitting streak to 16 games, the best this season on the Blue Jays.
Valencia sacrificed Colabello to third, Navarro walked and Pillar doubled to bump the lead to 5-1.
Hutchison left with one out in the seventh and designated hitter Evan Gattis at first after a leadoff single. Left-hander Aaron Loup finished the inning by striking out pinch-hitter Chris Carter and retiring pinch-hitter Hank Conger on a line drive to third.
Right-hander Steve Delabar took over in the eighth and gave up a first-pitch home run to Villar with one out. Delabar allowed a two-out, infield single to Altuve and was replaced by right-hander Roberto Osuna, who ended the inning by striking out left fielder Preston Tucker.
The Blue Jays tacked on two runs in the eighth on a pinch double by Justin Smoak, who was batting for Encarnacion, against right-hander Josh Fields.
Left-hander Brett Cecil pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
NOTES: The Astros' 6-2 loss on Friday snapped their seven-game winning streak against the Blue Jays, which included a four-game sweep in Houston on May 14-17. ... C Dioner Navarro started behind the plate for the Blue Jays on Saturday, giving regular C Russell Martin a break. Navarro came off the disabled list Tuesday after being out since April 22 because of a strained left hamstring. ... Astros 1B Chris Carter, who had a 12-game hitting streak snapped Friday when he was 0-for-3, was not in the starting lineup Saturday. INF Marwin Gonzalez started for the fifth time this season at first base in his place. ... RHP Collin McHugh (6-2, 4.33 ERA) will start for the Astros in the finale of the three-game series Sunday, with Toronto starting RHP R.A. Dickey (2-6, 5.53 ERA). Since Aug. 1, McHugh is 13-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 21 starts. The Astros are 16-5 in those starts.