Frazier fuels New York power surge against Jays
TORONTO — Todd Frazier’s best night since joining the Yankees helped New York’s struggling offense get back on track on Wednesday.
Frazier homered and had three RBIs and Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius also went deep as the Yankees overcame a shaky start by Masahiro Tanaka to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-5.
Rookie Garrett Cooper had four hits for the Yankees, who had not scored in double figures since a 13-4 win at Houston on June 30.
New York’s 17 hits were one shy of its season high, set June 10 against Baltimore.
“We needed that,” Frazier said. “That was a good win for us, a good offensive outburst. Hopefully, we can build on it.”
Frazier, who entered the game in a 5-for-33 slump, went back-to-back with Sanchez in the second, hit a tworun double in the fifth, then added a leadoff single in the eighth for his first three-hit game since the Yankees acquired him from the Chicago White Sox last month.
He was hit on the left elbow by a pitch in his final plate appearance and, at manager Joe Girardi’s suggestion, sat out the bottom of the ninth.
“Hopefully, tomorrow it’ll be just fine,” Frazier said.
Cooper was not in the original starting lineup but replaced Clint Frazier, who felt tightness in his oblique during batting practice and is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday.
“I’ve been feeling it for a few days,” Clint Frazier said. “I want to make sure everything is all right before I keep going.”
Gregorius hit his 18th homer in a third, a two-out drive off Nick Tepesch (0-2).
“When our offense is really going good, that’s what we were doing, we’re getting production from everyone,” Girardi said. “That’s good to see.”
Tanaka walked a seasonhigh five in four-plus innings, allowing three runs — two earned — and two hits. He left two batters into the fifth after Jose Bautista homered and Josh Donaldson walked.
Chad Green (2-0) struck out three straight for the Yankees, who remained four games behind AL East-leading Boston.
Aaron Judge drew his 82nd walk, breaking Charlie Keller’s 1939 Yankees rookie record. Boston’s Ted Williams holds the major league record with 107 in 1939.