The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
N.Y. suffers its first loss
TORONTO — With the Toronto Blue Jays struggling to score runs, Kevin Pillar found another way to create some offense.
Yangervis Solarte hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and Pillar added an insurance run by stealing second, third and home to send the Blue Jays over the New York Yankees 5-3 Saturday for their first win of the season.
“Sometimes when runs are tough to come by, especially early on in the year, you’ve got to go out there and try to make some stuff happen,” Pillar said.
The Blue Jays bounced back from two straight losses in which they totaled three runs. Tyler Austin homered twice for the Yankees.
Solarte began the eighth with a deep drive to center field off Dellin Betances (0-1) for a 4-3 lead.
“He threw me a pitch that I liked and it went out,” Solarte said.
Pillar hit a one-out single and swiped his way to third. The speedy outfielder then broke for the plate with Gift Ngoepe at bat, and Betances threw wildly to the backstop as Pillar scored standing up.
“I kind of looked at him and I noticed he was a little far away from third base,” Betances said. “I thought to myself I could try to come set, step off and throw, but I rushed the throw. That’s a big mistake there. I can’t do that.”
It was Toronto’s first straight steal of home since Aaron Hill did it against New York on May 29, 2007.
Betances allowed two runs and three hits in two innings. The Blue Jays stole four times in the eighth against him.
“I felt good overall but I kind of let things unravel a little bit there,” Betances said.
New manager Aaron Boone said he will stick with Betances, who has allowed runs in both appearances this season after struggling last September.
“We’ll continue to work with him, continue to believe in him and continue to need him in big situations,” Boone said.
Justin Smoak had three hits on his bobblehead doll day as the Blue Jays denied New York its first 3-0 start since 2003.
Ryan Tepera (1-0) pitched one inning for the win and Roberto Osuna finished for his first save.
Austin homered in consecutive at bats against Marco Estrada, the first multihomer game of his career. Austin hit a two-run drive in the fifth and a solo shot in the seventh. Both homers reached the second deck, and both tied the score.
“A little peek into the strength of Tyler Austin right there,” Boone said.
The Yankees lost two players to injuries.
Outfielder Billy McKinney sprained his left shoulder when he crashed into the left field scoreboard while chasing Josh Donaldson’s double in the first. After being checked by the trainer, McKinney stayed in for one more batter before being replaced by Brett Gardner. McKinney made his major league debut a day earlier.
Following the game, McKinney was put on the 10day disabled list and infielder Miguel Andujar was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Boone said Andujar will be used at third, first and DH.
Boone said McKinney’s recovery time would be “at least a few weeks.”
Yankees reliever Adam Warren exited in the sixth after being struck on the right ankle by Aledmys Diaz’s comebacker. Jonathan Holder came on and immediately gave up a tiebreaking single to Luke Maile. X-rays on Warren’s ankle were negative and he will be re-evaluated Sunday.
Toronto took its first lead of the season on Smoak’s RBI single in the first, then took a 2-0 on Smoak’s RBI double in the third off CC Sabathia.
Making his first career start in center field, Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 for the Yankees. He played the position after an injury to Aaron Hicks in the opener.