Toronto Blue Jays 3 — New York Yankees 5
Home runs was the name of tonight’s game in a 5-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Yankees had Hiroki Kuroda start tonight’s game. Kuroda has had a history of poor first innings and tonight had a similar feel to it. A leadoff single would be erased with a double play but a walk to Jose Bautista would come back to haunt Kuroda. On the first pitch following the walk, Edwin Encarnacion took Kuroda deep to left field for a two-run home run. A pair of singles appeared like the inning could go from bad to worse but Kuroda would get out of it with just the two runs scoring.
The long ball would get Kuroda one more time as Brett Lawrie opened the second inning with his first home run of the season and the Yankees had a hill to work over. The Yankees would turn to the former Jays outfielder to haunt the Jays yet again.
Vernon Wells went 7 for 15 (.467) in a three-game series with Jays last weekend with two home runs. He started tonight in a similar way when he took Mark Buehrle deep for a solo home run. This was Wells’ sixth home run of the season. Wells also has impressive career numbers against Buehrle. Entering tonight, Wells had 23 hits in 47 at-bats (.489) against Buehrle with two home runs and five runs batted in.
After a pair of singles, Robinson Cano came up with two on and two out. With Vernon Wells on deck, Robinson Cano got a 3-1 pitch to hit and he put a drive through that when he hit it for a three-run home run, putting the Yankees ahead 4-3. This is Cano’s seventh home run of the season.
Hiroki Kuroda was solid following his early struggles. He would put together six innings allowing three runs on two home runs. The bullpen would take over for him and bridge the Yankees to victory. Joba Chamberlain would allow a hit but have a scoreless seventh inning. This was Joba’s sixth consecutive scoreless appearance (5.2 innings). David Robertson followed with a perfect eighth inning and Mariano Rivera would get his seventh save of the season with two strikeouts.
Francisco Cervelli would hit his third home run of the season in the fourth inning as some insurance. Jayson Nix quietly has a three-game hitting streak with two hits tonight. In an odd play, Ben Francisco was rewarded first base after initially being called out on a ground ball. After being called out, the umpires gathered and discussed the play. After deliberation, they put Ben Francisco on first base and rewarded him with his first hit in a week. He is now hitting 3 for 29 (.103) this season.
Win – Hiroki Kuroda (3-1)
Loss – Mark Buehrle (1-1)
Save – Mariano Rivera (7)
Notables
Blue Jays
*Brett Lawrie – 2 for 4, R, Solo Home Run (1) in the 2nd, RBI (4)
*Edwin Encarnacion – 1 for 4, 2-Run Home Run (5) in the 1st, 2 RBI (14)
Yankees
*Robinson Cano – 1 for 4, R, 3-Run Home Run (7) in the 3rd, 3 RBI (17)
*Vernon Wells – 1 for 4, R, Solo Home Run (6) in the 2nd, RBI (10)
Current Yankees Record: 12-9
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