The Sports Xchange
Jun 3, 2017
TORONTO -- Brett Gardner, Matt Holliday, Starlin Castro and Didi Gregorius all homered in the eighth inning and Jordan Montgomery pitched six scoreless innings as the New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 7-0 on Saturday afternoon.
The four home runs in the eighth -- all against Jason Grilli -- were the most ever allowed in one inning by a Blue Jays reliever.
Montgomery (3-4) allowed three hits and three walks. The left-hander struck out five for the Yankees, who have won two of the first three games of the four-game series.
The Blue Jays (27-29) were held to three hits and five walks.
Toronto right-hander Joe Biagini (1-4) pitched a career-high seven innings in his sixth career start, allowing four hits, one walk and three runs (one earned) while striking out six.
The Yankees (32-21) scored two unearned runs in the third inning. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki booted a grounder by Rob Refsnyder, who stole second and scored on a bloop double by Aaron Hicks that hit the right-field line. It was the 11th RBI in the last seven games for Hicks.
Aaron Judge followed by lining a double to center.
Hicks and Judge extended their hitting streaks to seven games each with the doubles.
Biagini retired 10 batters in a row until Castro led off the seventh with a bloop double to left. Gregorius followed with another bloop double near the left-field line and the Yankees led 3-0.
Adam Warren replaced Montgomery for the seventh inning and pitched around a one-out walk to pinch hitter Ezequiel Carrera.
Grilli replaced Biagini in the eighth and allowed Gardner's 12th homer to lead off the inning and Holliday's 12th with two out, followed by Castro's ninth and Gregorius' fourth. He was replaced by J.P. Howell.
Tyler Clippard pitched a perfect eighth and Dellin Betances pitched around a walk in the ninth for the Yankees.
NOTES: Toronto C Russell Martin missed his third straight game Saturday because of a neck issue but said he hopes to return to the lineup Sunday. ... Toronto INF Darwin Barney started in left field Saturday, his first start in the outfield this season. He was 0-for-2 before being removed for pinch hitter Ezequiel Carrera in the seventh. ... Yankees 1B Greg Bird (right ankle bruise) was 2-for-4 with a double, three walks and one RBI in the first two games of his rehabilitation assignment with Class A Tampa. ... Toronto RHP Marcus Stroman (6-2, 3.28 ERA) faces New York RHP Luis Severino (4-2, 2.93 ERA) Sunday in the finale of the four-game series.