There was no late-inning hero to save them this time, and it would have taken a lot more than a two-run homer.
For the sixth time in eight games to start the season, the Blue Jays’ bats were firing blanks, so a gutty effort by Chris Bassitt wasn’t nearly enough in an 8-0 loss that gave the hometown Houston Astros two wins out of three in a series they should have swept.
All the concerns about the Jays’ offence came flooding back when they were no-hit by Ronel Blanco in the series opener, and those concerns have compounded with Tuesday’s miracle win — one in which they didn’t score until Davis Schneider’s game-winning homer with two out in the ninth — and Wednesday’s one-hit loss.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
The Jays couldn’t get to Houston starter Cristian Javier, managing just a Daulton Varsho slice-job double in the second inning, and they got nothing against the four relievers who followed. They were outhit an embarrassing 15-1 in the game.
Houston came in with only one win in six tries, but finally got what they needed from big slugger Yordan Alvarez, who belted his first two home runs of the season as part of a four-hit night.
Alvarez was just 3-for-24 on the season with no extra-base hits, but fattened up against Bassitt with a single, double and homer. The 26-year-old has now taken Bassitt deep five times in just 18 career at-bats. He also touched up reliever Tim Mayza in the sixth inning.
Bassitt stickhandled through the non-Alvarez portion of the Houston lineup, leaving the bases loaded twice. He got help from Varsho’s nice diving grab in the first inning and terrific work from Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette up the middle to save a run in the third.
The tall righty left with a couple of runners on in the fifth inning and Nate Pearson came on to give up back-to-back singles that allowed them both to score.
The Jays have a welcome day off Thursday before opening a weekend series in New York against the Yankees on Friday afternoon.
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
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