For six innings, nothing separated these teams. Then a pickoff throw in the eighth decided everything. Joey Loperfido scored on a pickoff error by pitcher Jeff Hoffman, and Houston held on for a 3-1 victory over Toronto at Rogers Centre before 39,264 fans.
Mike Burrows anchored the effort that made it possible. The right-hander worked 6.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 2 hits with 3 strikeouts and 1 walk on 93 pitches. Burrows received no decision, but his start kept Houston in a tied game long enough for the bullpen to finish it. Steven Okert earned his first win of the season, pitching a scoreless eighth inning, and Josh Hader closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth — striking out 2 — for his sixth save, carrying a 0.90 ERA.
The game opened with a quick exchange. Isaac Paredes doubled to center to score Peña in the top of the first, giving Houston a 1-0 lead. Toronto answered immediately when Nathan Lukes homered to right — 342 feet, upheld after an umpire review — to tie it at 1-1. That was the last run either team scored until the eighth. Loperfido's go-ahead run came without a hit: he scored when Hoffman's pickoff throw went for an error, breaking a tie that had stood since the first inning. In the ninth, Matthews scored on an infield single by Peña to extend the lead to 3-1.
Trey Yesavage gave Toronto a quality start in defeat, going 5.2 innings and allowing 1 run on 2 hits. He walked 5 and struck out 5 on 105 pitches. Hoffman, who entered in relief, took the loss to fall to 5-5 on the season, with a 4.84 ERA. Toronto managed just 4 hits on the night and could not recover from the eighth-inning miscue.
Houston improved to 38-43 with the win. Toronto dropped to 39-40, falling one game below .500 after entering the night one game above it.