Goins hits rare two-RBI sac fly in Jays’ victory
NEW YORK — Ryan Goins is money with his glove, but on Monday night he cashed in big with his bat.
The generally light-hitting infielder, who is playing shortstop on a regular basis with Troy Tulowitzki out with a hamstring injury, smacked a two-run home run in the second inning and added a two-RBI sacrifice fly to deep centre field in the sixth to guide the Blue Jays to a 7-1 victory over New York at Yankee Stadium.
Toronto has now won three straight in their first win streak of the season.
Five of Goins’s 10 hits this season have been for extra bases.
Third baseman Chris Coghlan also had a big game, hitting a solo home run, also in the sixth, his first of the season, to drive New York starter Luis Severino out of the game. Coghlan had two hits.
Jose Bautista hit his second home run of the season — a line drive shot to left centre in the seventh to score two more runs and put Toronto in the driver’s seat, ahead by six. That blast came off Yankees reliever Luis Cessa. Bautista went two for four with a walk and now has 34 homers against the Yankees, the most by any active player.
All that offence was more than enough for Jays starter Marco Estrada, who finally picked up his first victory of the season despite recording four quality starts in his five starts ahead of Monday’s game. He had allowed just two earned runs in his last 20 innings pitched.
Estrada gave up seven hits, did not walk a batter and got out of three jams in impressive fashion. He went seven complete innings, which was huge for the Jays, whose bullpen is a little worn out.
Severino (2-2) took the loss. Danny Barnes took over from Estrada in the eighth and got out the side. He also pitched the ninth and put two on (including on a Darwin Barney dropped-ball error at third) before getting Ronald Torreyes to ground out to end the game.
Goins put the Jays ahead 2-0 when he turned on a Severino fastball, parking it in right centre with Devon Travis on and none out. The next batter, catcher Luke Maile, also walked, prompting a visit from New York pitching coach Larry Rothschild.
Severino then struck out Coghlan, but not before the Jays third baseman hammered one just right of the right-field foul pole.
Estrada was lights out in the first two innings, putting the Yankees down in order, and got out of a jam in the third when he struck out Didi Gregorius with runners at third and first.