TORONTO -- After moving to the bullpen for a turn through the Astros’ rotation last week, Mike Burrows looked rejuvenated on Wednesday as he delivered one of his best outings of the season in his return to starting.
Burrows masterfully navigated through six innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out three before handing the ball off to Houston’s bullpen in a 3-1 win.
Offensively, the Astros pushed across the go-ahead run in the eighth, when Joey Loperfido tripled and came in to score on an error by Toronto.
Houston opened the scoring in the first on Isaac Paredes’ RBI double -- the third straight game in which the 27-year-old drove in a run in his first trip to the plate. That, combined with Burrows’ bounceback and a late run-saving grab in right field from Cam Smith, helped Houston claim its fourth straight series win.
The 26-year-old Burrows used all five of his pitches and averaged 95.2 mph with his four-seam fastball as he kept Toronto’s lineup off balance and away from hard contact for most of the night.
Burrows’ only blip came on the second batter of the bottom of the first, when Nathan Lukes took him just over the wall in right field for a solo shot.