New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays Match Player Stats On Apr 12, 2021

Kyle Higashioka hit two home runs and drove in three runs, Gerrit Cole struck out eight and the visiting New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 Monday night at Dunedin, Fla.

Higashioka's first two homers of the season give the catcher five in his career against the Blue Jays. The other three came in a single game, last Sept. 16.

Cole (2-0) allowed one run, three hits and one walk in six innings. He retired the final 15 batters he faced in the opener of a three-game series.

Aroldis Chapman pitched around a leadoff double by Randal Grichuk in the ninth inning to earn his first save of the season. He struck out the final two batters.

Robbie Ray (0-1) allowed two runs, three hits and three walks in five innings. The left-hander struck out three in his first start of the season.

The Blue Jays scored a run in the first inning. Singles by Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. put runners at the corners with one out. Guerrero moved to second on a wild pitch before Grichuk's groundout to shortstop scored Bichette.

Cole allowed a walk and a single to his first two batters in the second before striking out the next three batters.

Ray did not allow a hit until Rougned Odor hit a one-out single in the fifth. Higashioka followed with a homer to right-center that gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

Rafael Dolis replaced Ray in the sixth and pitched around a walk. He retired the first two batters in the seventh before being replaced by Ryan Borucki.

Justin Wilson took over from Cole and pitched a perfect bottom of the seventh.

Higashioka hit his second homer to left-center to lead off the eighth against Borucki.

Darren O'Day allowed a two-out single to Marcus Semien in the eighth to end a 0-for-20 run by Toronto hitters. Bichette walked, but Guerrero struck out.

Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks did not play in response to the shooting of Daunte Wright, 20, by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minn., on Sunday.

--Field Level Media