Field Level Media
Sep 8, 2021
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered in the ninth inning after Teoscar Hernandez hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the seventh as the Toronto Blue Jays ran their winning streak to seven games Wednesday night with a 6-3 victory over the host New York Yankees.
With the loss, the Yankees (78-61) fell from the top spot in the American League wild-card race. The Blue Jays (76-62) moved within 1 1/2 games of New York, which is now a half-game behind the Boston Red Sox.
The defeat was New York's fifth in a row.
Guerrero hit his 41st homer when he sent a 1-1 pitch from Aroldis Chapman several rows back in the left field seats.
Hernandez snapped a 3-3 tie when he slapped a 1-0 sinker from Clay Holmes (6-3) cleanly into right field. The hit easily scored Marcus Semien, who opened the seventh by reaching on an infield single and throwing error by shortstop Andrew Velazquez.
Semien reached four times and also hit a two-run single in the fourth off Lucas Luetge to give Toronto a 3-0 lead.
Jake Lamb padded the advantage with a sacrifice fly in the eighth after Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tripled. Gurriel also scored Toronto's first run in the fourth on a wild pitch by Luetge.
Brett Gardner hit a game-tying, three-run homer in the fifth off Toronto's Alek Manoah.
Manoah allowed three runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. The rookie right-hander struck out four and walked three in a 101-pitch outing.
Trevor Richards (6-2) got the final out of the sixth and the first two of the seventh. Adam Cimber struck out Anthony Rizzo with two on to end the seventh and pitched a scoreless eighth.
Jordan Romano tossed a perfect ninth for his 16th save in 17 opportunities.
New York's Luis Gil allowed the first three runs of his career and one hit in 3 1/3 innings. He issued seven walks, struck out six and labored through a 91-pitch outing.
Gil had fired 15 2/3 scoreless innings over his first three major league starts.
--Field Level Media