Estrada gets back on winning track as Blue Jays blank Yanks
TORONTO — Marco Estrada tossed seven scoreless innings in leading the Toronto Blue Jays to a 4-0 shutout of the New York Yankees on Thursday 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 two of three 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, scoring 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 acquired from Oakland on July 31, went six innings and allowed three runs on four hits while walking four and striking out six. The righthander fell to 1-3 in four career starts at Rogers Centre.
NOTES: before Thursday’s game, the Jays placed RHP Taylor Cole on the 10-day disabled list and recalled RHP Chris Smith from triple-A Buffalo . ... DH Kendrys Morales (illness) was a late scratch.