Rare moment in the spotlight burns Hoyt
Bind in bullpen haunts Hinch as reliever allows pivotal 3-run HR
TORONTO — A.J. Hinch ambled to the Rogers Centre mound and pulled starter Collin McHugh with one out in the sixth inning Saturday. In need of a strikeout or two and working short a closer in his bullpen, the Astros manager summoned James Hoyt to escape an important jam.
For Hoyt, a 29-year-old baseball journeyman, the scenario signified the highest-leverage situation he has faced in his brief time as a major leaguer. Toronto players occupied first and second base. The Astros needed two outs.
Hoyt had recorded only one out, however, when Russell Martin crushed his full-count slider onto the black tarp-covered seats in center field. With one swing of the bat in a 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays, the Astros (61-56) saw their one-run lead transformed into a two-run deficit.
The defeat snapped their four-game winning streak and ensured that four teams, including the Blue Jays (66-51), remained ahead of them in the American League wild-card standings. The Astros play Toronto for the final time this season in Sunday afternoon’s series rubber match.
“I felt like that was the right pitch to throw. I was confident in the pitch. (It was) just maybe a little up,” Hoyt said. “But as far as the slider, that’s what I wanted to go to there. He gets me there, but I’d like to think the next time I get him.” Offense stalls
After scoring 37 runs over their previous four games, the Astros’ bats fell mostly quiet save for a two-run first inning and several warning-track shots throughout the afternoon.
AL Cy Young Award candidate Aaron Sanchez completed seven innings of two-run baseball, the 17th time in 23 starts the 24-year-old righthander has yielded two runs or fewer for the Blue Jays.
Sanchez, whose 2.84 ERA ranks second in the AL to Kansas City’s Danny Duffy, allowed only five hits. Three came in the first inning, high- lighted by Carlos Correa’s two-run double.
But that was the extent of the damage. Reliever Jason Grilli stranded Jose Altuve on third in a scoreless eighth and Roberto Osuna worked around A.J. Reed’s two-out double in the ninth.
McHugh pitched well except for the first inning, when he allowed a solo homer on a changeup to reigning AL MVP Josh Donaldson, but he had racked up a high pitch count (95) after needing 65 to get through the first three frames. According to Hinch, McHugh “didn’t quite have the finish on his pitches as his outing went” and “was battling himself a little bit.” His afternoon lasted only three batters into the sixth.
After inducing a groundout from Donaldson to open the decisive inning, McHugh elevated a fastball that Edwin Encarnacion laced into center field. Michael Saunders then planted a shift-beating bunt down the third-base line to bring up Troy Tulowitzki.
With closer Ken Giles on paternity leave and Chris Devenski unavailable after starting the nightcap of Thursday’s doubleheader, the Astros’ bullpen was short two of its most reliable relievers. Hinch turned to Hoyt, who struck out 80 in 54 dominant Class AAA innings this season but had only 51⁄ innings of experi3 ence in the big leagues coming into Saturday.
“Well, he’s got to pitch,” Hinch said. “A lot of times when you lose some guys you’ve got to slot guys in in some roles that are unaccustomed. He’s more than equipped to get those guys out. He made one bad pitch, and it cost us three runs.” ‘Live with the results’
Hoyt induced a weak groundout to third base from Tulowitzki but fell behind Martin, three balls to no strikes. After working himself into a full count, Hoyt left the slider over the middle of the plate. The 6-6 righthander knew the two-out pitch was gone as soon as Martin connected.
“I told Hoyt after the game, ‘You could throw that pitch to Martin another 10 times and he might hit it like that once,’ ” McHugh said. “You can’t really beat yourself up about it. You can’t go away from the game plan. You make your pitch and you’ve got to live with the results.”