Guerrero hits go-ahead triple in 7th, Jays beat Yankees 5-4
TORONTO (AP) >> Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a go-ahead, two-run triple in the seventh inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied to beat the Yankees 5-4 Saturday, handing New York its second straight loss following a seasonhigh nine game winning streak.
Gary Sanchez returned from injured list and hit a solo home run for the Yankees and Gio Urshela added a two-run drive.
The Blue Jays trailed 4-3 in the seventh when Bo Bichette drew a one-out walk from Adam Ottavino, Cavan Biggio singled and Guerrero Jr. grounded the ball down the first base line and into foul territory. Right fielder Aaron Judge initially mishandled the ball against a side wall, and Guerrero slid in safely for the first triple of his career.
The Yankees had gone ahead on DJ LeMahieu’s sacrifice fly in the top of the inning, but Ottavino (5-4) couldn’t make it stand
up. The right-hander allowed a run for the first time in 16 appearances, a streak that dated to July 2 against the Mets.
Jason Adam (1-0) worked 1 1/3 innings for his first major league win and Derek Law got four outs for his third save in three opportunities.
Teoscar Hernandez hit a three-run home run for the Blue Jays, who have gone deep in 15 consecutive games. It is Toronto’s longest such streak since a 19game run in 2010.
Blue Jays batters have hit 99 home runs since June 16. Only the Yankees (100) have hit more in that span.
The Yankees have hit multiple home runs in nine straight games, extending their season-best streak. New York lost for the ninth time in 61 games with multiple home runs.
Sanchez started in the cleanup spot after missing 16 games because of a strained left groin. He struck out swinging on three pitches against righthander Wilmer Font in his first at-bat, then provided the first hit of the game with a one-out homer off righty Jacob Waguespack in the fourth. It was Sanchez’s 25th home run of the season and his first since July 4.
Toronto got its first hit, and its first runs, in the fourth. Hernandez, who homered twice Friday, greeted righty Chance Adam with a three-run drive into the second deck, his 18th.
Urshela tied it at 3 with a homer into the center field party deck in the sixth, his 17th.
Urshela had back-toback, two-homer games against Baltimore and Toronto on Wednesday and Thursday. Of his past 29 hits, 20 have been for extra bases.
The Yankees lost for the first time in 12 games this season when using an opener, with starter Chad Green pitching a scoreless inning. Six Yankees pitchers combined to walk eight and strike out 14. TRAINER’S ROOM Yankees: INF Gleyber Torres (core injury) hit on the field and took grounders before the game, then flashed a thumbs-up to manager Aaron Boone as he walked off the field. Torres has missed four straight . ... RHP Jonathan Holder (right shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Aug. 7. Holder will undergo an MRI when the team returns home Monday. “Hopefully it’s something that’s a little shorter term but he’s definitely got some impingement in there,” Boone said. The Yankees recalled LHP Stephen Tarpley from Triple-A to replace Holder. Tarpley walked four in 2 1/3 innings . ... RHP Jonathan Loaisiga (shoulder) threw 48 pitches over three shutout innings at Triple-A Friday. “That’s really encouraging,” Boone said. “He could potentially become an option for us some point this coming week.” ... LHP CC Sabathia (right knee) will throw a bullpen Sunday , Boone said . ... OF Giancarlo Stanton (right knee) continues to hit off the tee and throw, but has yet to ramp up his activity. “I know he’s been doing a lot of agility-type stuff, strengthening-type stuff and he’s responded pretty well to that,” Boone said.
Blue Jays: RHP John Axford had season-ending elbow surgery Thursday. Axford did not pitch for Toronto this season. ROSTER REPORT To make room for Sanchez, the Yankees optioned C Kyle Higashioka to TripleA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. UP NEXT Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (7-6, 4.93) has an 8.71 ERA over six starts in July and August.