Toronto Blue Jays Back to .500 For First Time in Over 2 Months

· Yahoo Sports

For the first time since the start of the second week of the season, the Toronto Blue Jays are .500.

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The Blue Jays beat the Houston Astros 4-2 in the first of a three-game series on Monday at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Sunday's contest was a low-scoring affair in which the two American League foes were tied 2-2 through the sixth inning. Outfielder Myles Straw hit a go-ahead RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Toronto a 3-2 lead. Catcher Alejandro Kirk hit his own run-scoring sac fly in the bottom of the eighth inning to bolster the team's lead to the eventual final of 4-2.

Earlier in the game, third baseman Kazuma Okamoto hit a team-leading solo home run in the bottom of the second that tied the game 1-1.

Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease had another high-strikeout performance. He fanned eight, walked four and allowed two earned runs on three hits in 5.2 innings pitched.

Cease improved to third in the major leagues and first in the American League in strikeouts this season, despite missing two weeks with a hamstring strain.

A bullpen trio of Braydon Fisher, Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland kept the Astros off the board.

The win improved Toronto's overall record to 39-39 on the season. It's the first time the Blue Jays have been .500 since before a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox on April 4.

The Blue Jays have noticeably turned a corner since several of their key contributors made their return from respective injuries.

Cease and fellow starting pitcher Max Scherzer both made their return from respective ailments in the first week of June. Catcher and 2025 All-Star Alejandro Kirk also made his return from the injured list this month. 

Following Toronto's win, the team is 10-8 this season. The team is third in the American League East, 7.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the division.

The Blue Jays currently occupy the third and final wild card spot in the AL and lead the Athletics and Texas Rangers by one game for the playoff spot.

Toronto entered this season with the expectations of being World Series contenders following its first AL pennant since 1993. Injuries put the Blue Jays' championship aspirations on a slow pace, but the team seems to be getting closer to find its footing with their turn of health.

Toronto will have another positive health update when right-handed starting pitcher Shane Bieber makes his season debut at 4:07 p.m. PT on Tuesday at Rogers Centre.

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