Blue Jays 6, Astros 5: Nolan Reimold hit his first two home runs of the season as Toronto slugged its way past Houston in the opener of a four-game set.

Reimold lined a first-pitch fastball from Chad Qualls (1-3) into the boxes in left for his second blast of the night to put the Blue Jays ahead in the ninth inning. Jose Bautista and Dioner Navarro also homered while rookie Aaron Sanchez (2-0) retired all six batters he faced to earn the win in relief and Casey Janssen worked the ninth for his 18th save.

Jake Buchanan got a surprise start for the Astros after scheduled starter Jarred Cosart was traded to the Miami Marlins earlier in the day and allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. Robbie Grossman had two hits and an RBI and Jon Singleton homered to lead the Houston offense.

Bautista’s 21st home run gave Toronto a quick lead in the first inning and Ryan Goins’ single in the second sent home Danny Valencia to make it a 2-0 gap. The Astros battled back with Singleton’s solo blast in the second and grabbed the lead in a three-run third as Grossman, Jason Castro and Marc Krauss each delivered RBI hits.

The powerful Blue Jays drew even with the long ball as Reimold took Buchanan out to left in the fifth for his first blast of the season and Navarro victimized Jose Veras in the sixth to knot it up. An RBI groundout in the sixth for the Astros and Bautista’s eighth-inning sacrifice fly knotted it again before Reimold put Toronto on top for good.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Blue Jays scratched CF Colby Rasmus from the starting lineup for disciplinary reasons and got just three innings from starter Drew Hutchison (four earned runs on six hits). … The Astros also sent UTL Kiki Hernandez and minor-league OF Austin Wates to the Marlins in exchange for 2013 No. 6 overall pick Colin Moran, OF Jake Marsinick, RHP Francis Martes and a compensatory draft pick. … Toronto placed 1B Dan Johnson (hamstring) on the 15-day DL and recalled RHP Chad Jenkins.