The Astros’ Hayden Wesneski had his second straight strong start in his return from Tommy John surgery, holding the Blue Jays to two runs in six innings Tuesday.
Alex Slitz/Getty Images
A day after the Houston Astros did not add pitching at the trade deadline, one of the starters they are counting on to contribute down the stretch helped them even a series.
In his second outing back from Tommy John surgery, right-hander Hayden Wesneski worked a quality start that gave the Astros’ offense time to stir in a 7-2 win over the Blue Jays at Daikin Park. Houston, which had a six-game winning streak snapped Monday, has won 12 of 14 and sits at 59-56.
More impact from the bottom half of its lineup, a trend on this homestand, buoyed it Tuesday. Jose Altuve struck three hits, scoring twice and driving in two runs from the sixth spot. Taylor Trammell’s three-run home run off Toronto reliever Chad Dallas capped a four-run fifth.
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That backed an encouraging start by Wesneski, who allowed two runs across six innings. Turning from the asking prices for pitching Monday leaves the Astros relying on two starters — Wesneski and Ronel Blanco — who recently returned from elbow surgeries.
General manager Dana Brown described their returns Monday as “in itself like a trade acquisition,” a platitude that may resemble one less if both perform. Houston has won each of Wesneski’s starts, an auspicious beginning to that plan.
“I see it as confidence — you believe in the guys in here,” Wesneski said of not acquiring pitching at the deadline. “We have a good group of arms. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, our bullpen’s really good.
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“All the starting pitchers need to do is give them a chance and let our bullpen and our hitters just take over. We like what we have in here. We have a chance, we’re in first place for a reason. And we don’t need anything else and Dana proved it.”
Wesneski held Toronto scoreless until the fifth. Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage exited after two innings, requiring them to turn quickly toward relief. Dallas covered three innings, with the Astros scoring twice in the fourth and four times in what proved a decisive fifth.
Houston’s win maintained its 2 ½-game lead in the AL West over the Rangers, who defeated the Giants on Tuesday night in walk-off fashion.
Toronto
AB
R
H
BI
BB
SO
Avg.
Totals
32
2
5
1
2
6
Lukes rf
4
0
0
0
0
0
.271
Guerrero 1b
3
0
0
0
1
0
.261
Okamoto 3b
4
0
0
0
0
3
.231
Springer dh
3
0
1
0
1
1
.239
Kirk c
4
0
1
0
0
0
.237
Sánchez lf
2
0
0
0
0
0
.271
a-Schneider ph-lf
1
0
0
0
0
1
.147
b-J.Smith ph
1
0
0
0
0
0
.000
Clement 2b
3
0
0
0
0
0
.288
Giménez ss
3
1
1
0
0
1
.230
Straw cf
4
1
2
1
0
0
.223
Houston
AB
R
H
BI
BB
SO
Avg.
Totals
31
7
9
7
7
4
Peña ss
3
0
0
0
2
1
.320
Alvarez dh
4
1
1
0
1
1
.330
Paredes 3b
4
0
0
0
0
1
.252
Varsho cf
2
0
0
0
2
0
.242
Walker 1b
4
2
1
0
0
1
.237
Altuve 2b
4
2
3
2
0
0
.236
Allen 2b
0
0
0
0
0
0
.257
Trammell lf
3
2
1
3
1
0
.236
Diaz c
4
0
2
1
0
0
.261
C.Smith rf
3
0
1
1
1
0
.216
Toronto
000
020
000_2
5
1
Houston
000
240
10x_7
9
1
a-struck out for Sánchez in the 7th. b-grounded out for Schneider in the 9th.
E_Sánchez (0), Allen (3). LOB_Toronto 4, Houston 7. 2B_Straw (9), Walker (22). 3B_Straw (1). HR_Trammell (5), off Dallas. RBIs_Straw (17), Diaz (26), C.Smith (39), Altuve 2 (31), Trammell 3 (16).
Runners left in scoring position_Toronto 1 (Guerrero); Houston 4 (Varsho, Peña 2, Paredes). RISP_Toronto 0 for 3; Houston 5 for 10.
Runners moved up_Alvarez. GIDP_Kirk, J.Smith, Trammell.
DP_Toronto 1 (Guerrero, Giménez, Guerrero); Houston 2 (Peña, Walker; Allen, Peña, Walker).
IP
H
R
ER
BB
SO
NP
ERA
2
0
0
0
1
0
27
3.73
3
7
6
6
4
3
74
1.93
1
0
0
0
0
1
14
4.00
1
2
1
1
1
0
18
12.00
1
0
0
0
1
0
12
4.33
IP
H
R
ER
BB
SO
NP
ERA
6
4
2
2
2
4
78
4.76
1
0
0
0
0
1
7
3.24
2
1
0
0
0
1
29
4.38
WP_Wesneski.
Umpires_Home, Gabe Morales; First, Doug Eddings; Second, Mike Muchlinski; Third, Emil Jimenez.
T_2:26. A_30,450 (41,000).
Jose Altuve stays hot
This season has not met career standards for Altuve, who entered Tuesday with a .236/.299/.385 slash line and a 92 OPS-plus and acknowledged frustration in the first half. A strong closing stretch from the second baseman would behoove both him and Houston.
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Altuve’s three-hit night Tuesday marked his fifth multi-hit game in his last seven. He is 11-for-28 during that stretch.
“He’s been talking about making some changes to his swing — kind of lowering his hands, trying to be on time, foot down, hands in the striking position so he can be more efficient, shorter to the ball,” manager Joe Espada said. “Trying to stay away from the ground ball and make those more line drives and trying to get the ball in the air.”
Altuve’s two-out infield single in the fourth inning marked the Astros’ first hit and sparked a rally. Dallas walked Trammell. Yainer Diaz and Cam Smith both followed with singles to score runs.
In the fifth, Altuve lined a two-out RBI single off the glove of third baseman Kazuma Okamoto that broke a 2-2 tie. Trammell — who was robbed of extra bases by center fielder Myles Straw on Monday but rounded the bases believing he had hit a home run — then laced a first-pitch curveball from Dallas into the right-field seats. This ball cleared the fence easily and created a four-run lead.
Altuve ended the night with 2,473 career hits, surpassing Bobby Abreu (2,470) during the game for the fourth-most hits in MLB among Venezuelan-born players.
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Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve hits a RBI single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Taylor Trammell celebrates in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Taylor Trammell (26) celebrates with Jose Altuve after hitting a three-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Taylor Trammell (26) watches his three-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Daulton Varsho (18) is tagged out at home plate by Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Daulton Varsho (18) is tagged out at home plate by Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Taylor Trammell celebrates in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Taylor Trammell (26) and Yordan Alvarez (44) celebrate after a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Jeremy Peña (3) and Taylor Trammell (26) celebrate after a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Houston Astros pitcher Enyel de Los Santos celebrates after a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
How did Hayden Wesneski fare?
Both of Wesneski’s outings since his return from Tommy John surgery have been efficient. He threw 79 pitches in 5 ⅔ innings at Angel Stadium, falling one out short of a quality start. Tuesday, he worked one, navigating six innings on 78 pitches and departing with a 6-2 lead.
“For the most part, throwing strikes,” Wesneski said. “I do like how my sinker’s playing, cutter’s playing. Slider, I need to kind of get it a little bit more on plane, I need to throw more strikes and command it a little bit better. But for the most part I’m just competing with stuff.”
Toronto has an aggressive and contact-happy offense. Wesneski coaxed enough weak contact out of it to avoid damage outside of one inning. The Blue Jays chased at a 44% clip against him and averaged only an 86.4 mph exit velocity on 17 balls put into play.
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Straw, the former Astros center fielder, was his main tormenter. The ninth hitter in Toronto’s order, Straw struck a third-inning double and was stranded. In the fifth, Andrés Giménez poked a grounder to the left side of a shifted infield for a single. Straw tripled over the head of erstwhile teammate Daulton Varsho in center field.
His swing halved a two-run deficit. Wesneski then bounced a two-strike pitch that allowed Straw to score and forge a 2-2 tie. After the Astros’ four-run response, Wesneski returned for a scoreless sixth.
His exit after 78 pitches indicates Houston is being prudent with his workload initially upon his return. So far, the results are encouraging for a team that needs it.
“Just trying to keep the pitch count somewhere where we feel good about him bouncing back and keep him healthy,” Espada said. “Having a fresh bullpen today, that really helps. Trying to keep him around those 80, 85 pitches before we can extend the leash and let him go a little bit further in the game. But his stuff is good, the velo is there, breaking pitches have the action that we’re looking for. So he’s checking all the boxes.”
Why Trey Yesavage left early
After throwing two scoreless innings, Yesavage jogged to the mound to start the bottom of the third but appeared to feel discomfort in his left leg. A team trainer and Blue Jays manager John Schneider went to the mound to check on Yesavage, who tried one practice pitch and was removed from the game.
The Blue Jays announced in-game that Yesavage had exited due to “left knee discomfort.”
Yesavage entered the game with a 3.73 ERA across 17 starts this season. That included a June 24 outing against the Astros in Toronto, in which the right-hander allowed two hits and one run over 5 ⅔ innings. He retired six of seven batters faced Tuesday, the exception a first-inning walk to Jeremy Peña.
Updates on Mike Burrows, Brice Matthews
Right-hander Mike Burrows, who is on the injured list due to elbow neuritis, is scheduled to pitch in a rehab game Friday in Florida, Espada said. Burrows is expected to throw “a few innings,” which will be his first game action since being placed on the IL retroactive to July 7.
Outfielder Brice Matthews, who is rehabbing from a left knee sprain in Houston, took on-field batting practice and ground balls Tuesday at Daikin Park. His next step will be running bases to test the knee, which Espada said is “close.”