Fortunately for the Astros, he took out that aggression on the next pitch, connecting for a two-run homer that completed a big rally to lift Houston to a 7-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
It was Bregman’s third straight game with a homer and it capped a huge comeback for the Astros, who trailed 5-0 in the middle of the first inning after a terrible start by Dallas Keuchel.
The Astros trailed by one when Tony Kemp singled off Ryan Tepera (5-3) with no outs in the ninth and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Then with one out in the inning, Bregman sent a fastball to left field, where it bounced off the wall above the Crawford Boxes, to give Houston the victory.
”That was the first guy I’ve swung and missed two straight fastballs on this year I think besides (Luis) Severino,” Bregman said. ”So it kind of ticked me off.”
Manager A.J. Hinch wasn’t surprised that Bregman came through for his team.
”For him to be able to stay calm in the moment, we’ve seen this – Alex Bregman, game on the line, ice in his veins,” Hinch said.
Bregman also doubled twice on Wednesday after hitting a homer and doubling three times in a win on Tuesday night.
”I don’t know how many hits Bregman had this series but he had too many,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said.
Will Harris (3-3) allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth for the win.
Gibbons was frustrated that his team let this one get away.
”That’s probably my low point this year because you’ve got it right there,” he said. ”Those are the teams you want to beat. I think what magnifies that is anytime you get a 5-0 lead that’s what gets you.”
After the Blue Jays took a 5-0 lead in the first Darius Leonard Jersey , Houston scored three in the bottom of the first to close the gap and got within one Evan Gattis‘ RBI double in the fifth. But Kevin Pillar singled and scored on an error in the sixth to make it 6-4.
Marwin Gonzalez snapped an 0 for 23 slump with a solo shot to the bullpen in right-center off Tyler Clippard with two outs in the eighth inning to cut the lead to one.
The Blue Jays jumped on Keuchel immediately a day after being shut out for the fifth time this season in a 7-0 loss. Randal Grichuk hit a leadoff double followed by a walk by Teoscar Hernandez. Yangervis Solarte made it 1-0 with an RBI double before Keuchel walked Steve Pearce.
Hernandez scored on a sacrifice fly by Kendrys Morales before Pillar made it 3-0 with a run-scoring single.
Another RBI single, this one on a grounder by Aledmys Diaz, pushed the lead to 4-0 before Luke Maile’s sacrifice fly made it 5-0.
Toronto starter Marco Estrada allowed seven hits and four runs – three earned – in five innings.
Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner who hadn’t allowed an earned run in his past two starts, gave up seven hits and six runs in 5 1/3 innings.
Evan Gattis doubled twice and drove in three runs to give him 30 RBIs this month, which is a franchise record for RBIs in June.
Keuchel settled down after his terrible first inning, allowing just one baserunner over the next four innings. But Pillar, who singled in the third inning, hit another single with one out in the sixth before a single by Diaz.
Keuchel walked Maile to load the bases and Toronto extended the lead to 6-4 when Devon Travis reached and Pillar scored on an error by Jose Altuve.
”Just a tremendous job of staying the course. Not getting too mad at himself. Not getting too frustrated and just putting up zeros to allow us to make it a game,” Hinch said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: SS Carlos Correa sat out for the second straight day with a sore back. Hinch said the problem isn’t serious but he wants to give him time to rest. … RHP Joe Smith (right elbow inflammation) threw a bullpen on Wednesday and will likely begin a rehabilitation assignment this weekend.
1,500
Gibbons managed his 1,500th game on Wednesday. He’s managed the second-most games in Blue Jays history behind the 1,764 games that Cito Gaston managed. He is 757-743 in his career, which leaves him in 11th place for wins among active managers.
Gibbons Jaire Alexander Color Rush Jersey , who is in his second stint as Toronto’s manager, has been at the helm since 2013.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Toronto is off on Thursday before opening a four-game series against the Tigers on Friday with Marcus Stroman (0-5, 6.80 ERA) on the mound. Stroman allowed six hits in five scoreless innings in his return from the disabled list in his previous start.
Astros: Lance McCullers (8-3, 3.82) will start for Houston in the first of four games at Tampa on Thursday night. McCullers allowed four hits and three runs while fanning nine in six innings in his previous outing.
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Andrew Knapp had too much fun to be tired after playing in what matched the longest nine-inning game in NL history.
Knapp and Odubel Herrera hit three-run homers, rookie Scott Kingery had a career-high four hits, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 17-5 on Friday night for their fifth straight victory.
Herrera’s shot into the right-field stands in the third inning off Trevor Williams (6-7) pushed the Phillies’ lead to 5-1. Knapp’s blast to left capped a seven-run seventh, making it 14-4 and helping Philadelphia improve to 5-0 against the Pirates this season.
The game lasted 4 hours, 30 minutes, tying the NL record for a nine-inning game set on June 24, 2016, by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.
”Was it that long?” Knapp said. ”It didn’t seem like it.”
It felt like an eternity for Pittsburgh, which has given up 48 runs, 59 hits and 12 home runs during its four-game losing streak.
”It’s peaks and valleys. Right now, collectively Josh Jackson Color Rush Jersey , we’re in a valley,” Williams said.
Herrera finished with four RBIs and Carlos Santana drove in three runs. Cesar Hernandez and Rhys Hoskins had three of the Phillies’ 18 hits and Maikel Franco hit a two-run double in the second.
Kingery reached base five times.
Philadelphia (48-37) moved into a first-place tie with Atlanta in the NL East and is 11 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2011 season. The Phillies lost 96 games last year.
”We played Phillies-type of offense,” first-year manager Gabe Kapler said. ”We continue to see a lot of pitches, work a lot of counts, grind down the opposing pitchers. I really believe it’s a great way to win baseball games and our guys are starting to understand it and going along with it more and more.”
Edubray Ramos (3-0) retired both batters he faced in the fifth inning after being activated from the disabled list before the game.
Both starting pitchers were chased in the third inning. Nick Pivetta was charged with three runs – one earned – and Williams was tagged for five runs.
”I kind of set the tone for the record,” Pivetta said with a smile, ”but our guys did a good job of battling and overcoming it.”
Pivetta has made eight starts in a row without a victory, though he got the win in relief Sunday against Washington. Williams has lost his last three starts, allowing 12 runs in 13 innings.
”I’m tired of getting my (behind) kicked,” Williams said.
The Phillies sent 11 batters to the plate in the seventh to take a 10-run lead. Hoskins and Herrera hit consecutive RBI singles and Santana doubled home two runs before Knapp connected against Josh Smoker.
Jesmuel Valentin belted a two-run double and scored on a double by Hoskins in the ninth.
Pittsburgh’s Colin Moran opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first.
ROSTER MOVES
Phillies: Ramos had been out since June 25 with a right shoulder impingement. Fellow RHP Jake Thompson was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Pirates: OF Jordan Luplow was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis and RHP Clay Holmes was optioned to Class A Bradenton. Holmes was sent to the Florida State League to stay on a normal schedule because the Triple-A All-Star break is next week.
MARTE MILESTONE
Marte stole his 200th career base in the fourth inning and added two more steals in the sixth. He is the eighth Pirates player since 1900 to reach that milestone.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: RHP Vince Velasquez (bruised right forearm) will throw a bullpen Saturday and likely start Wednesday night against the Mets at New York. . RHP Jerad Eichkoff (right lat strain) felt tingling in his fingers during a live batting practice session Friday at the spring training complex in Clearwater, Florida. … INFs J.P. Crawford (broken left hand) and Pedro Florimon (broken right foot) will be examined by specialists next week.
Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (infected right index finger) is scheduled to throw a bullpen Saturday. . C Francisco Cervelli (concussion) is 1 for 5 with three walks through the first two games of his rehab assignment at Double-A Altoona. … INF/OF Sean Rodriguez (strained right quadriceps) is 5 for 20 with a double in five games with Indianapolis.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Jake Arrieta (5-6, 3.54 ERA) is 0-4 with a 6.16 ERA in his last six starts.
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (5-6, 4.05) is 3-6 with a 4.93 ERA in his last 14 starts after going 3-0 with a 0.89 ERA in his first three.
