TORONTO (Interstat) — The Toronto Blue Jays used a balanced attack and timely hitting to defeat the Houston Astros 4-2 on Monday night at Rogers Centre, snapping a two-game losing streak and moving to .500 on the season.

An announced crowd of 42,273 watched the Blue Jays improve to 39-39, while the Astros fell to 37-43. The game lasted 2 hours, 56 minutes.

Toronto right-hander Braydon Fisher earned the win, his third against two losses, after tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. He entered in the sixth inning with runners on base and escaped without damage. Louis Varland picked up his 16th save with a perfect ninth inning, striking out one and allowing no hits.

Astros starter Hunter Brown worked into the fourth inning but was removed after allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Enyel De Los Santos took the loss, his second without a win, after surrendering two runs on four hits over 1 2/3 innings.

Houston jumped ahead in the first inning. Jeremy Peña led off the game with a line-drive single to left field. Yordan Alvarez walked, and after Christian Walker struck out, Isaac Paredes grounded a single to left, scoring Peña. Jose Altuve walked to load the bases, but Yainer Diaz grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Astros ahead 2-0.

The Blue Jays answered in the second inning. Kazuma Okamoto crushed a 17th home run of the season to left-center field, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Toronto then threatened in the third, loading the bases with two walks and a hit-by-pitch, but Ernie Clement grounded into a forceout to end the inning.

Toronto tied the game in the fourth. Andrés Giménez singled sharply to right field, and George Springer walked. Nathan Lukes reached on a sacrifice bunt that resulted in a throwing error by third baseman Raynel Delgado, loading the bases. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Giménez and making it 2-2. Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho flew out to keep the game tied.

Houston regained the lead in the sixth. With one out, Alvarez walked and Christian Walker walked. After a lineout, Altuve singled on a line drive to right field, scoring Alvarez. Yainer Diaz grounded out to end the inning, but Houston led 3-2.

Toronto starter Dylan Cease departed after 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs while striking out eight. Fisher entered and retired Diaz to escape the sixth.

The Blue Jays took control in the seventh. Varsho singled on a ground ball deflected by second baseman Altuve. Okamoto doubled on a line drive to left, sending Varsho to third. Myles Straw, pinch-hitting, hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Varsho and tying the game 3-3. Clement walked, but Giménez struck out to end the inning.

Toronto grabbed the lead for good in the eighth. With De Los Santos on the mound, Springer singled sharply to center field. Nathan Lukes singled to left, deflected by center fielder Jake Meyers, putting runners at first and second. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled to left, loading the bases. Alejandro Kirk then hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Springer and giving Toronto a 4-3 lead. Varsho grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Varland pitched a perfect ninth, striking out Taylor Trammell to end the game.

Key performances included George Springer going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Yordan Alvarez reached base three times on a walk and two singles, finishing 1-for-2. Daulton Varsho went 1-for-4 with a run. Okamoto homered and doubled. Alejandro Kirk drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

The most important part of the game occurred in the bottom of the eighth inning. After the Astros had failed to score in the top half, the Blue Jays strung together three consecutive singles from Springer, Lukes and Guerrero to load the bases. Kirk’s sacrifice fly proved the decisive run, giving Toronto a 4-3 lead that Varland secured in the ninth.

Houston had a chance to extend its lead in the sixth but stranded two runners after Altuve’s RBI single. The Astros managed only five hits, with Altuve delivering the only run-scoring hit besides Paredes’ first-inning single. Alvarez reached base three times but was left on base twice.

Toronto outhit Houston 11-5. The Blue Jays struck out nine times but drew six walks and two hit-by-pitches, while the Astros struck out 10 times and walked five.

The win moved Toronto back to .500 after dropping two of three in Chicago. Houston lost for the second time in three games after splitting a weekend series with Cleveland.

The Astros continue their road trip with another game at Rogers Centre on Tuesday. The Blue Jays will look to build momentum against the same opponent before hosting the Texas Rangers later in the week.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Toronto Blue Jays 6, Houston Astros 5. Interstat’s ELO system gave Toronto a 58.10 percent probability to win. Toronto had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 6 went over the over/under line of 7.