LDN - Sports

Yankees rally past Blue Jays with five-run ninth

[September 27, 2016] TORONTO -- After two bench-clearing incidents early in the game, the New York Yankees found out how to win at Rogers Centre on Monday.

Home runs Mark Teixeira and Aaron Hicks sparked a five-run ninth inning, and the Yankees held on to earn a wild 7-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, who rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth.

The Yankees (80-76) avoided a sweep in the four-game series with the Blue Jays and also stopped their eight-game losing streak in Toronto and a four-game losing streak overall. New York is barely alive in the race for an American League wild-card spot, sitting five games out with six to play.

The Blue Jays (86-70) are in the first AL wild-card spot, one game ahead of the Baltimore Orioles (85-71).

"There's a lot of fight in these guys, and it's not going away," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was ejected after the first bench-clearing episode in the top of the second after Toronto starter J.A. Happ hit Chase Headley with a pitch.

Yankees starter Luis Severino, who hit Josh Donaldson with a pitch in the first, was ejected when he hit the first hitter in the bottom of the second, Justin Smoak.

The benches emptied again. This time, Severino and Yankees bench coach Rob Thomson and pitching coach Larry Rothschild were ejected.

No Blue Jays were ejected, but Toronto two players were injured in the second melee. Reliever Joaquin Benoit sustained a calf injury, and second baseman Devon Travis hurt his shoulder and left in the sixth inning.

"My read is we've got an intense ballgame, two teams trying to get to the playoffs," Happ said. "That's baseball, that's what happens. They took exception, we did as well. I wasn't trying to hit Chase, but it happened. They can say whatever they want. Eventually cooler heads prevailed."

Girardi had a different view.

"Happ is a control pitcher," Girardi said. "He was throwing at Headley on purpose. I understand that, I don't have a problem with that. But just a poor job by the umpires. You've got to give a warning. Once that happens, the warning has to be in place. I thought (the umpires) had a really tough weekend.

"I was mad because Happ hit him on purpose and he had one shot. You throw it behind the guy and you miss, I mean, he's got to be tossed. That's terrible, it's terrible."

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said, "Teams have been taking pot shots (pitching inside) at us all year long, and guys are getting tired of it. The trouble is that it can be dangerous. I think the umpires handled it the right way."

Severino said, "I wasn't trying to hit anybody. I wasn't having my control in the first inning. I just tried throwing a good pitch inside, and it slipped from my hand."

Severino threw his glove at Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar during the scrum.

"I just saw him run at me and I've got to defend myself," he said. "I saw him running at me, that's why I threw my glove."

The solo homer by Teixeira and the two-run shot by Hicks came against Toronto reliever Jason Grilli (6-4).

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Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez (24) hits into a fielders choice for an out that drives in a run against Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Warren (4-2) pitched two scoreless relief innings to pick up the win. Tommy Layne rescued Dellin Betances in the ninth inning when the Blue Jays loaded the bases with no outs, and he earned his first save of the season.

Happ allowed six hits, one walk and two runs (one earned) in 7 1/3 innings. He left after in the eighth allowing a run on a single by Jacoby Ellsbury that scored Brett Gardner, who had doubled.

Grilli allowed Teixeira's 14th homer of the season with one out in the ninth to tie the game.

Didi Gregorius singled, and Hicks hit his eighth homer of the season to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead.

Donovan Solano doubled, and Danny Barnes replaced Grilli. Gardner walked, and Ellsbury hit an RBI single. Another run scored on a sacrifice fly by Gary Sanchez.

Betances allowed a leadoff walk to Smoak in the bottom of the ninth. His error on Pillar's bunt put runners at first and second. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, and Darwin Barney walked to load the bases.

Layne retired Josh Donaldson on a fly to right with Smoak holding at third.

Edwin Encarnacion walked to force in a run.

Pinch hitter Dioner Navarro dunked an RBI single into right-center to cut the lead to 7-5 for the final run of the game.

Russell Martin's tapper in front of the plate resulted in a force out at home as Layne made a dive at the plate with the ball.

Troy Tulowitzki fouled out to left to end the game.

NOTES: Yankees RHP Michael Pineda had seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision Sunday at Toronto, giving him 202 K's for the season. He is the first Yankee with 200 strikeouts in a season since LHP CC Sabathia whiffed 230 in 2011. ... Blue Jays RHP Marco Estrada has allowed one run in his past 14 innings, including one in seven innings in a no-decision Sunday. ... Blue Jays RHP Aaron Sanchez (13-2, 3.12 ERA) will face Orioles RHP Kevin Gausman (8-11, 3.57) on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series at Rogers Centre. ... Yankees RHP Luis Cessa (4-3, 4.30) will oppose Red Sox LHP David Price (17-8, 3.91) on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.

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