Jose Bautista celebrates with Josh Donaldson after hitting a home run against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on August 2, 2016 in Houston, Texas.Bob Levey/Getty Images
R.A. Dickey threw seven solid innings, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion homered and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Houston Astros 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Bautista hit his 300th career homer in the third to put Toronto up 1-0.
Encarnacion launched his 29th home run to lead off the fourth — a monstrous shot that bounced off the railroad tracks at Minute Maid Park before landing in left field.
Dickey (8-12) allowed one run on six hits with five strikeouts. He had allowed 18 runs — 17 earned — over his last three starts, all losses.
Danny Barnes pitched the eighth before Jason Grilli pitched the ninth for his second save with Toronto and his fourth overall.
Evan Gattis cut the lead to 2-1 with an RBI single in the seventh. Jose Altuve had three hits for Houston, which lost for the fourth time in five games.
Lance McCullers (6-5) allowed two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings before leaving with discomfort in his right elbow. He will be evaluated Wednesday.
McCullers was replaced by Joe Musgrove, who struck out eight in 4 1/3 shutout innings. The eight strikeouts tied a major league record for strikeouts by a reliever making his big league debut set by Barry Jones for the Pirates on April 20, 1986.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: SS Troy Tulowitzki (thumb) swung off a tee Tuesday and was feeling better, manager John Gibbons said.
Astros: RHP Luke Gregerson was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 28 with a left oblique strain. The Astros recalled IF A.J. Reed from Triple-A Fresno. ... OF Carlos Gomez (right hamstring) was back in the lineup Tuesday after missing the last four games. He went 1 for 4.
ROSTER MOVES
Blue Jays: Toronto recalled RHP Mike Bolsinger, who was acquired Monday from the Dodgers, and Barnes from Triple-A Buffalo. The Blue Jays optioned INF Ryan Goins and RHP Bo Schultz to Buffalo.
Astros: Houston will recall RHP James Hoyt from Triple-A Fresno on Wednesday, and RHP Doug Fister will go on the three-day paternity list.