Granderson struck twice against Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (9-3), delivering a leadoff shot to right field in the fifth inning before golfing a two-out homer to left in the seventh. For Granderson, the homers were his eighth and ninth this season. He finished 2-for-4 with a walk.

The second Granderson blast snapped a 3-all tie. Grichuk eliminated any late-inning rally hopes for the Astros with his 471-foot shot to left off right-hander Will Harris, driving home pinch runner Gio Urshela. Grichuk had been 0-for-3 before recording his ninth homer.

Grichuk preserved the lead when he scaled the wall in right field and gloved what would have been a three-run homer by George Springer with no outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Verlander labored early and retired the Blue Jays in order only twice, in the second and sixth. He surrendered a two-run double to Toronto first baseman Justin Smoak in his 26-pitch first inning and worked around a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs in the third.

Verlander retired eight consecutive batters between the Granderson dingers and departed after Teoscar Hernandez recorded his third hit in four plate appearances in the top of the seventh.

Verlander allowed four runs, tied for his most in an Astros uniform, on a season-high seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts. The loss snapped a span of seven consecutive starts without a defeat.

Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ (10-3) won his second consecutive start. He surrendered a run-scoring single to Houston first baseman Yuli Gurriel in the first inning, a solo home run to Astros third baseman Alex Bregman in the third and an RBI single to Bregman in the fourth.

Happ retired the final seven batters he faced and allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts over six innings.

Bregman tallied his 12th homer and went 2-for-4.

--Field Level Media