Nolan Reimold hits two home runs, Jays beat Astros

Blue Jays 6   Astros 5

9th inning wins are fun.

I don't know how the Orioles let Nolan Reimold go, but I'm so glad they did. Nolan hit a home runs in the 5th and then hit another in the top of the 9th, the game winning hit. When not on the DL, he's been great.

We also got home runs from Jose Bautista, in the first, and Dioner Navarro, in the 6, to tie the game at that point. 4 home runs on the day for us, all solo shots. Our other runs came in the 2nd, Ryan Goins singled home Danny Valencia and in the 8th, Jose Bautista hit a sac fly to score Jose Reyes. Unfortunately, Melky Cabrera tried to move up from first to second, on that fly, and was out easy when the Astros cut off the throw.

We've had so many good starts lately, I guess it was time for a bad one. Drew Hutchison was terrible. 3 innings, 6 hits, a home runs with 2 strikeouts. He just didn't have it.

Fortunately, our bullpen did have it. They pitched 6 innings, allowing just 1 unearned run:

• Todd Redmond went 2.2, allowing 2 hits, 3 walks with 2 strikeouts. He allowed a after Bautista dropped an pretty easy fly ball, that would have been the third out of the inning.
• Brett Cecil got the last out of the 6th.
• Aaron Sanchez gave us 2 perfect innings. He's been so good.
• Casey Janssen gave up a walk in the 9th but had a pretty easy time of getting his 18th save.

There were a few interesting moments today:

• Steve Tolleson, in the 7th  had a swinging bunt that pitcher Tony Sipp fielded and bounced it off Tolleson on the throw to first but Steve was called out for being inside the line. A pretty easy call, that I hate, because the bag is inside the foul line, running a straight line to it keeps you inside the line.
• Cabrera had a tough time on a line drive off the right field wall, misplaying it, trying to make a jumping catch, lucky Anthony Gose backed him up on the play.
• Goins made a couple of great plays. One turning a great double play (helped by a great play at third by Valencia) and one getting to a ball hit up the middle that I figured he had no shot to come even close to it.
• Colby Rasmus was a late scratch, apparently for showing up late for the game and Gibby felt it was time to make a statement. I'm glad he was late because Reimold took his spot in the lineup.

We had 11 hits, 2 each for Reyes, Navarro, Valencia and Reimold (both homers). The only 0 fors came from Juan Francisco (0 for 4, 1 k) and Anthony Gose (0 for 2).

Jays of the Day are Reimold (.394 WPA), Janssen (.203), Sanchez (.152) and Navarro (.154).

Suckage goes to Hutchison (-.291) and Francisco (-.107).

Source: FanGraphs Great GameThreads tonight, we had 1406 comments (and here I figured we'd be all talked out after all the trade deadline threads), Strik3r led us to victory, super job.