Toronto Blue Jays get decisive win over New York Yankees | The Canadian News

TORONTO – Feeling confident after hitting a solo shot early in the game, Bo Bichette approached the plate in the eighth inning with the clear intention of doing it again.

Looking for a sinker from reliever Clay Holmes (8-4), Bichette landed one and made the most of it.

His 28th homer of the season made all the difference, as Toronto earned a much-needed 6-5 victory that helped the Blue Jays hold on amid a close race for the American League wild card.

“This is what we dream of doing,” Bichette said. “I wouldn’t be playing baseball if it weren’t for moments like this.”

Marcus Semien also homered for the Blue Jays, while George Springer contributed three hits and two runs. Starter José Berríos had a solid showing and closer Jordan Romano worked the ninth inning for his 22nd save.

Bichette’s 28 home runs are the most in a season for a shortstop in franchise history, surpassing Tony Batista’s mark of 26 in 1999. None were greater than the one that helped the Blue Jays place the Blue Jays two games behind New York in the race for the first. wild card place.

“Sometimes you hit the bottom of eighth home runs and they’re as big as a walk,” Semien said.

Semien also made history with his 44th home run, a two-run shot in the first inning that set the tone after Berríos struck out sideways in the top half of the frame.

Semien outscored Davey Johnson (New York Mets in 1973) with the most homers in a single season by a second baseman. With Springer on board after a starting double, Semien hit a 97 mph fastball from Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.

“We knew the guy we were up against today,” Semien said. “We had to be prepared for speed and we worked on that a bit before the game.

“He attacked me with fastballs and I did it.”

The Yankees’ seven-game winning streak came to an end and their lead over Boston was reduced to one game after the Red Sox shut out the Baltimore Orioles 6-0.

Toronto tied with the Seattle Mariners, who were also one game behind Boston going into their late game against the Oakland Athletics. The Yankees and Blue Jays, who will close out their three-game series Thursday night, have four games to play.

“We’re in a good place,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “I feel like the guys are having a lot of fun competing with a lot at stake. That’s where you want to be at this time of year. “

Springer drove in Santiago Espinal with an RBI single in the second inning and Bichette made it 4-0 with his home run in the third.

Berríos, meanwhile, was in stellar form, retiring the top 14 Yankees in order, until New York scored a pair in the fifth inning.

Gleyber Torres doubled down the left-field line and scored on a single by Gio Urshela. Brett Gardner followed up with an RBI double.

Springer received credit for a two-base hit in the bottom of the fifth after a miscommunication in shallow left field.

Urshela tracked the ball from his shortstop position before walking away in the final second off left fielder Joey Gallo, who could only watch him fall. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made the Yankees pay by ending a career 0-for-20 drought with an RBI double.

DJ LeMahieu led off the sixth with a double, went to third on a grounder and scored on a Mike Judge sacrifice fly. With two attempts and a full count for slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Berrios thrilled the announced crowd of 29,601 by setting the cleanup hitter on a groundout single.

Both starters worked six innings. It was Berrios’ first appearance at the Rogers Center since the province increased the venue’s capacity to a maximum of 30,000.

“It was fun and I enjoyed it,” he said. “Tonight the game gave me the flavor of a playoff game.”

The Yankees kept playing and finally tied for seventh when Kyle Higashioka hit a two-run single off reliever Tim Mayza.

“I really liked the way our guys competed and fought to get into that game,” Boone said. “They survived us tonight.”

Bichette brought the home crowd back to life in the eighth with his third multi-homer game of the season, celebrating the moment with a pair of emphatic punches as he rounded the bases.

Sidearmer Adam Cimber (3-4) recorded four key outs ahead of Romano for the victory. The Blue Jays beat the Yankees 10-7.