Colby Rasmus hit a three-run homer off Rafael Soriano with two outs in the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays took advantage of Derek Lowe’s wild pickoff throw in the 11th to beat the New York Yankees 8-7 Monday night, snapping a seven-game losing streak.
Moments after Rasmus’ stunning drive put Toronto ahead 7-6, Derek Jeter tied it with a home run off Casey Janssen. But the last-place Blue Jays didn’t cave, scratching out a run two innings later to stop an eight-game slide at Yankee Stadium.
The loss might be a costly one in more ways than one for the AL East-leading Yankees. Slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira was pulled with a strained left calf and sent to the hospital for an MRI.
Yorvit Torrealba had a two-run shot and Adam Lind also went deep in his first plate appearance for the banged-up Blue Jays since coming off the disabled list. Missing slugger Jose Bautista and several other regulars, Toronto had dropped a season-worst eight straight on the road.
Robinson Cano homered twice and Nick Swisher hit a two-run drive for New York.
Torrealba singled leading off the 11th for his third hit and pinch-runner Mike McCoy scampered to third when Lowe’s pickoff attempt got past first baseman Eric Chavez and rolled into foul territory up the right-field line. Lowe (8-11) was charged with an error.
After a strikeout, Adeiny Hechavarria hit a slow grounder toward third that forced Jayson Nix to charge the ball. McCoy waited until Nix threw to first, then dashed home and beat Chavez’s throw to the plate with a slide.
Darren Oliver (3-2) pitched two hitless innings for the win, Toronto’s first at Yankee Stadium since May 23, 2011.
Jeter lofted Janssen’s second pitch to right field, beyond a leaping Moises Sierra and into the front row of seats behind the auxiliary scoreboard. It was Jeter’s 14th home run of the season and fourth in seven games.
Rookie right-hander David Phelps gave the Yankees another solid spot start, this one in place of injured Ivan Nova, and New York opened a 6-3 lead in the fifth on a two-run drive by the streaking Swisher.
Hechavarria got Toronto’s comeback started with a two-out RBI single off Cody Eppley in the seventh.
Sierra and Rajai Davis singled in the ninth to bring up the slumping Rasmus, who drove a breaking ball deep into the second deck in right for his 21st home run.
It was Soriano’s third blown save in 36 chances since replacing injured closer Mariano Rivera in early May.
On a night when it was downright dangerous to be a Toronto pitcher, four times the Yankees hit sharp comebackers that caromed off the body of a Blue Jays hurler.
Henderson Alvarez took the worst one, Russell Martin’s hard grounder that smacked off the right-hander’s leg in the fourth inning and careened into shallow right field for an RBI single. Alvarez hobbled over to the first base line and bent over in pain. He was checked by a trainer and walked slowly off the field with a bruised left shin.
X-rays were negative and he is day to day. Aaron Laffey relieved and was given all the time he needed to warm up.
Alvarez also was checked by the trainer in the second inning after Chavez’s comebacker deflected off his pitching hand for an infield single. He threw a couple of warmup pitches and appeared to be OK.
Chavez had another infield single in the eighth that hit reliever Aaron Loup. Laffey recovered from a body shot to throw out Jeter in the sixth.
NOTES: Bautista, back on the disabled list with a left wrist injury, was examined by a hand specialist in Cleveland and was on his way to New York to rejoin the team, manager John Farrell said. The Blue Jays were awaiting test results. … Farrell said he will use Hechavarria primarily at third base for now, which is where he played Monday night. … RHP Jason Frasor (right forearm) threw another bullpen and is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this weekend. … Yankees RHP David Robertson pitched a scoreless eighth inning hours after his wife, Erin, gave birth to their first child, a baby boy they named Luke Joseph. … The Little League World Series champions from Japan were on the field before the game. They took a tour of the New York clubhouse and met Ichiro Suzuki, Hiroki Kuroda and other Yankees. Then they watched the game from the stands. … The Yankees hosted the Women’s Sports Foundation, including Olympic gold medalists Christie Rampone (2012 soccer captain) and Sarah Hughes (2002 figure skating). Rampone and Hughes each threw out a ceremonial first pitch, and former WNBA star Kym Hampton of the New York Liberty sang the national anthem. … RHP Phil Hughes (12-11, 4.15 ERA) is slated to start Tuesday night for the Yankees against struggling LHP Ricky Romero (8-11, 5.63).