TORONTO -- Home runs from Robbie Grossman, Jonathan Villar and Jason Castro, and a strong performance by starter Dallas Keuchel helped the Astros drop the Blue Jays, 6-4, in front of a crowd of 15,778 at Rogers Centre on Thursday.Houston avoided getting swept and snapped a three-game losing skid with the victory, while upping its American League-tying home run total to 14.Both Keuchel and Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey came out dealing and made quick work of the opposition through four innings of work, but the Astros got on the board in the fifth, using the long ball to break open a scoreless affair. 
Grossman busted out of an 0-for-25 skid at the plate by launching a two-run homer, his first of the season, off Dickey to give the Astros a 2-0 lead.Toronto answered right back in the bottom half of the frame. With one out, Colby Rasmus crushed a first-pitch offering from Keuchel to right-center field for his first homer of the season to make it a 2-1 game. Keuchel got out of the inning and stranded one runner on base after Melky Cabrera grounded out to end the frame.Cabrera hit a ball at third baseman Matt Dominguez, who did not field it cleanly but was able to recover and fire it to first to narrowly beat the Blue Jays left fielder at the bag. Toronto challenged the play but lost after the call was confirmed following a review of one minute and 21 seconds.The score remained 2-1 until Villar provided the Astros with some insurance in the seventh. With two on and one out, Villar crushed a three-run homer, his second of the year, off Dickey to give Houston a comfortable 5-1 lead.Dickey lasted seven frames, allowing five runs on six hits while walking three and striking out four.Castro hit his second homer of the season to lead off the eighth, a solo shot off Esmil Rogers which put the Astros ahead, 6-1.Keuchel, meanwhile, bounced back strong from a mediocre outing during his first start of the season. The lefty lasted seven innings and allowed one run on five hits while punching out six.The Blue Jays made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth, putting three runs on the board, but reliever Anthony Bass got Maicer Izturis to ground out to end the contest.Chris Toman / Special to MLB.com
Grossman busted out of an 0-for-25 skid at the plate by launching a two-run homer, his first of the season, off Dickey to give the Astros a 2-0 lead.Toronto answered right back in the bottom half of the frame. With one out, Colby Rasmus crushed a first-pitch offering from Keuchel to right-center field for his first homer of the season to make it a 2-1 game. Keuchel got out of the inning and stranded one runner on base after Melky Cabrera grounded out to end the frame.Cabrera hit a ball at third baseman Matt Dominguez, who did not field it cleanly but was able to recover and fire it to first to narrowly beat the Blue Jays left fielder at the bag. Toronto challenged the play but lost after the call was confirmed following a review of one minute and 21 seconds.The score remained 2-1 until Villar provided the Astros with some insurance in the seventh. With two on and one out, Villar crushed a three-run homer, his second of the year, off Dickey to give Houston a comfortable 5-1 lead.Dickey lasted seven frames, allowing five runs on six hits while walking three and striking out four.Castro hit his second homer of the season to lead off the eighth, a solo shot off Esmil Rogers which put the Astros ahead, 6-1.Keuchel, meanwhile, bounced back strong from a mediocre outing during his first start of the season. The lefty lasted seven innings and allowed one run on five hits while punching out six.The Blue Jays made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth, putting three runs on the board, but reliever Anthony Bass got Maicer Izturis to ground out to end the contest.Chris Toman / Special to MLB.com
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