<\/p>\n
A pesky Blue Jays lineup drove up Astros ace Hunter Brown\u2019s pitch count as he worked just three innings Monday in his second start back from the injured list.<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr., left, takes a lead off first base against Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown, right, during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros infielder Jose Altuve misplays a ground ball off the bat of Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown winds up to deliver to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve fouls off a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve fouls off a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease throws to a Houston Astros batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease winds up to deliver to a Houston Astros batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease throws to a Houston Astros batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease throws to a Houston Astros batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease throws to a Houston Astros batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena, left, slides safely into second base with a steal ahead of a tag by Toronto Blue Jays infielder Andres Gimenez during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena (3) hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho (5) makes a catch on a fly ball off the bat of Houston Astros’ Joey Loperfido during fifth inning MLB baseball action in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays’ Andres Gimenez (0) scores a run ahead of a tag by Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz off a fly-out by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. during fourth inning MLB baseball action in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. loses his helmet while swinging at a pitch during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays’ Jesus Sanchez (12) reacts after ducking an inside pitch from Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown during third inning MLB baseball action in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement, center top, throws to first base to complete a double play after forcing out Houston Astros’ Yainer Diaz (21) during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros outfielder Jake Meyers, bottom, misplays a fly ball off the bat of Toronto Blue Jays’ Nathan Lukes in front of teammate Yordan Alvarez, right, during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros infielder Jose Altuve throws to first base to put out Toronto Blue Jays’ Alejandro Kirk during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros infielder Jose Altuve fields a ground ball off the bat of Toronto Blue Jays’ Alejandro Kirk during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jon Blacker\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n
Jon Blacker\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
TORONTO\u00a0\u2014 After two taxing at-bats, Hunter Brown hovered on the edge of a clean first inning. His 16th\u00a0pitch forged a two-strike count on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. One more promised a walk back to his dugout.<\/p>\n
Instead, on the sixth pitch he saw, Guerrero struck a slow chopper for an infield single. Alejandro Kirk punched a two-strike sinker to right field for a hit. Not until his 28th\u00a0pitch, a fastball fired past Daulton Varsho, did Brown escape the inning.<\/p>\n
It distilled a strenuous night for the Houston Astros<\/a>‘ ace. In his second start back from a shoulder strain, Brown lasted three laborious innings Monday in a 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays<\/a>, whose dogged lineup drove up his pitch count even as it did little damage against him.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Brown allowed just one run but threw 85 pitches to record nine outs. He threw 37 of those pitches after getting to two strikes in the count. Eight of 17 batters he faced reached base, seven with two outs. For a pitcher prone to dominance, it was a decided slog.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a starting pitcher, you typically have four or five pitches so you can navigate it on any given night,\u201d Brown said. \u201cMaybe three of those five are working, or even two. And tonight, I just had zero. It\u2019s just one of those games where I just had really poor command, control, just really couldn\u2019t figure it out. Did the best I could, and it just was not a good night.\u201d<\/p>\n The outing was Brown\u2019s shortest since April 11, 2024<\/a>, when he did not make it out of the first inning in Kansas City. That it occurred six days removed from his return from a 2 \u00bd-month stint on the injured list, the first of his career, invites the idea Brown is still regaining his form.<\/p>\n