The Hamilton Spectator

Estrada pitches seven scoreless innings in Blue Jays’ 4-0 shutout win over Yankees

- Ezequiel Carrera.

TORONTO — Marco Estrada tossed seven scoreless innings leading the Toronto Blue Jays to a 4-0 shutout of the New York Yankees in American League baseball action Thursday night at Rogers Centre.

Josh Donaldson and Kevin Pillar had RBI singles and Ezequiel Carrera scored on a fielder’s choice as the Blue Jays (54-60) improved to 7-6 against the Yankees (60-53) this season while taking 2 of 3 in the series. Jose Bautista added a solo home run in the seventh.

Estrada (5-7) picked up his first win since a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on May 27 — a span of 12 starts. He entered Thursday’s outing with a 0-5 record to go along with a 7.39 ERA in his last 12 games.

The right-hander got into his first jam of the evening in the fifth surrenderi­ng a leadoff single to Garrett Cooper and then walking Ronald Torreyes. However, Estrada got both Brett Gardner and Aaron Hicks to fly out before catching Aaron Judge looking to end the threat.

Judge’s strikeout stretched his streak to 27 consecutiv­e games with a strikeout — the longest streak within one season by a position player (non-pitcher) since 1913.

Estrada struck out six while walking three and surrenderi­ng five hits. Ryan Tepera and Roberto Osuna each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

The Blue Jays got on the board in the second thanks to some heads up base running by Carrera. The right-fielder reached on a double off the wall in right, and then took third on a poor pickoff attempt by Yankees starter Sonny Gray.

On a Ryan Goins dribbler back to the mound, Carrera slid under Gary Sanchez’s tag at home plate to give Toronto a 1-0 lead.

Donaldson’s RBI single added to Toronto’s lead in the third that scored Bautista from second. Pillar’s RBI single in the fourth made it 3-0 for the Blue Jays. The hit saw Pillar snap a 0-for-10 slump with runners in scoring position.

Gray (6-7), who made his second start for the Yankees since being dealt from Oakland on July 31, went six innings and allowed three runs — two earned — on four hits while walking four and striking out six.

The right-hander fell to 1-3 in four career starts at Rogers Centre.

NOTES: Prior to Thursday’s game the Blue Jays placed RHP Taylor Cole on the 10-day disabled list (toe fracture) and recalled RHP Chris Smith from Triple-A Buffalo. … DH Kendrys Morales (illness) was a late scratch prior to first pitch and replaced by

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