TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Houston Astros 4-2 on June 22, 2026, marking their return to a .500 winning percentage for the first time since May 29. The victory was secured by key offensive plays including Kazuma Okamoto's 17th home run and Myles Straw's go-ahead sacrifice fly.

Houston initially took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Jeremy Peña singled on the first pitch from Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease. Isaac Paredes then singled with one out, allowing Peña to score. Cease loaded the bases in the first inning, but Yainer Diaz grounded into a double play to end the threat. Cease allowed two runs, three hits, and issued four walks while striking out eight batters in 5 2/3 innings.

Okamoto hit his home run leading off the second inning against Astros pitcher Hunter Brown. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. later advanced Andrés Giménez with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, giving the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead. Brown, in his second start since returning from the injured list and his fourth of the season, pitched three innings and threw 85 pitches.

Jeremy Peña left the game in the sixth inning after aggravating a hamstring injury. In the bottom of the sixth, Cease issued one-out walks to Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker. Jose Altuve tied the game at 2-2 with a two-strike single on Cease's 110th and final pitch. Braydon Fisher entered to relieve Cease and retired Diaz on a comebacker, ultimately earning the win to improve his record to 3-2.

In the seventh inning, Daulton Varsho hit an infield single off Enyel De Los Santos, who has a record of 0-2. Okamoto followed with a double with one out. Myles Straw, entering as a pinch-hitter, drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly against Bryan King in the seventh inning. Alejandro Kirk expanded Toronto's lead to 4-2 in the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly that scored George Springer.

Houston threatened in the eighth when Brice Matthews and Yordan Alvarez singled off Tyler Rogers, but Christian Walker grounded into a double play. In the ninth inning, Louis Varland issued a leadoff walk to Yainer Diaz. However, Joey Loperfido grounded into a double play, and Varland struck out Taylor Trammell, who entered as a pinch-hitter, to secure his 16th save of the season.

Why It Matters

This victory brings the Toronto Blue Jays to a 39-39 record, reaching a .500 winning percentage for the first time in nearly a month. The team is beginning its longest homestand of the season, a 10-game stretch, with Shane Bieber scheduled to make his first start of the season for the Blue Jays on June 23, 2026.