Pillar sets steal trap for Dellin

TORONTO — Dellin Betances has become well known for his trouble keeping runners from stealing bases, but no one ever had done what Toronto’s Kevin Pillar did Saturday.

The center fielder swiped three bases off Betances in the bottom of the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays, including a steal of home on which Pillar didn’t even have to slide.

“It’s obviously a huge gamble,” Pillar said of stealing home, which gave the Blue Jays a two-run lead. “Sometimes, when runs are tough to come by, you’ve got to go out there and make some stuff happen.”

Pillar broke for home on a 2-2 pitch with Gift Ngoepe at the plate and two outs in the inning. Betances stepped off, but his throw to Gary Sanchez was nowhere close to the plate and Pillar scored easily.

“Fortunately for me, he threw it away,” Pillar said. “I guess that’s the element of surprise. A little bit of panic sets in.”

But Pillar’s strategy was based on more than catch- ing Betances and the Yankees off guard.

After ex-Yankee Yangervis Solarte homered off Betances to put Toronto up for good to start the inning, Randal Grichuk struck out before Pillar singled to right.

He was able to steal second then third — despite Gary Sanchez’s strong arm behind the plate, which Pillar called “a game-changer.”

Betances struck out Aledymas Diaz then walked Luke Maile, but that didn’t stop Pillar.

“We know the guys that have tendencies,” Pillar said. “We know the guys that don’t necessarily like to [throw] pickoffs to bases [and] guys that don’t want the ball in their hands. [Betances] and CC [Sabathia] … we know he doesn’t like to field bunts, but when they’re on, they’re tough guys to bunt.”

It all set up the final stolen base.

“I’ve never seen it done with a guy in the stretch,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said. “It was a big run, too. … It’s pretty cool. [Betances] isn’t gonna give up a lot of hits, so that’s how you have to approach him. I’m glad he did it.”