Halladay outpitches Burnett as Jays beat Yanks 5-1

[May 13, 2009]  TORONTO (AP) -- Roy Halladay pitched a five-hitter to best former teammate A.J. Burnett, Scott Rolen had three hits and three RBIs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Aaron Hill hit a solo home run for the Blue Jays, who improved to an AL best 23-12. They lead New York, which was playing without Derek Jeter, by 6 1/2 games in the East.

Halladay (7-1) walked none and struck out five to win his fourth straight start and improve to 16-5 in 33 career games against New York. He has an ERA of 2.77 against the Yankees, his best against any AL opponent.

Alex Rodriguez had an RBI single in the seventh for the Yankees' run. It was his first RBI since hitting a three-run homer in his first at-bat after returning from hip surgery Friday.

Yankees designated hitter Hideki Matsui left the game in the fifth with a tight right hamstring and is day to day. Matsui, who grounded to third in his only at bat, was replaced by Nick Swisher.

Jeter was scratched with a sore right oblique and was replaced by Ramiro Pena. Manager Joe Girardi said Jeter could return to the lineup Wednesday.

Burnett (2-1) allowed five runs and seven hits in 7 2-3 innings and has not won since April 14. He walked four and struck out three.

Burnett's reception Tuesday was in stark contrast with his last outing in Toronto. On Sept. 24, he was given a standing ovation and a curtain call after working eight innings against the Yankees. But after going 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA and 231 strikeouts in 2008, Burnett opted out of the final two years of his contract and signed a five-year, $82.5 million deal with New York.

With that defection still stinging, a boisterous crowd of 43,737 Tuesday, Toronto's biggest since opening day, singled out both Burnett and Rodriguez with a cascade of boos.

Jeering fans threw a Rodriguez foul ball back on the field in the seventh and stood cheering when pitching coach Dave Eiland visited Burnett in the eighth.

Burnett didn't allow a hit through the first three innings but gave up three runs in the third.

Alex Rios led off with a double before walks to Vernon Wells and Adam Lind loaded the bases for Rolen, who hit a two-run double down the third-base line. One out later, Lind scored on Rod Barajas' shallow sacrifice fly to right, sliding home safely when catcher Kevin Cash dropped the one-hop throw from Melky Cabrera.

Halladay gave up a single to Johnny Damon in the first but left fielder Travis Snider threw Damon out at second base. Halladay then retired the next 17 batters, a streak that ended with Damon's one-out double in the seventh. One out later, Rodriguez hit an RBI single.

Hill hit a leadoff homer to left in the eighth, his ninth. Rolen chased Burnett with an RBI single.

Notes: New York RHP Chien-Ming Wang allowed three hits in six shutout innings in his first rehab start at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday night. ... Yankees RHP Ian Kennedy (aneurysm) had shoulder surgery in New York Tuesday. Kennedy will remain in hospital for the next couple of days and should begin throwing again in six to eight weeks. ... Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said LHP B.J. Ryan (muscle tightness in his back and shoulder) could rejoin the team this weekend but said LHP Scott Downs will remain Toronto's closer. Downs is 3 for 3 in save opportunities since Ryan went on the 15-day DL on April 23.

[Associated Press]

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