DJ LeMahieu hit a game-ending single with one out in the 10th inning on Sunday as the host New York Yankees continued their surge with a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Following a rain delay of one hour, 49 minutes, LeMahieu gave the Yankees their seventh win in eight games.
After Trent Grisham sacrificed automatic runner Anthony Volpe to third, the Blue Jays deployed a five-man infield and brought their outfielders in. LeMahieu won it by hitting a 1-1 slider from Bowden Francis (4-3) into center field and out of shortstop Ernie Clement’s reach.
Mark Leiter Jr. (3-4) stranded two in the 10th by striking out Alejandro Kirk to set up New York’s second walk-off win this season.
LeMahieu’s game-winner atoned for Clay Holmes’ ninth blown save in 32 chances this season.
Holmes was asked to deliver a five-out save after Tommy Kahnle walked two batters with one out following Grisham’s error in center field to start the eighth. Kirk’s sacrifice fly against Holmes tied the game at 3.
Holmes fanned Addison Barger to end the frame before the tarp came out.
The Yankees entered the eighth inning up 3-2 after Juan Soto led off the seventh with his 28th homer. Soto’s drive against Genesis Cabrera briefly landed on the left-center field fence before bouncing into Toronto’s bullpen.
Before Soto’s homer, New York manufactured a pair of runs in the sixth against Ryan Yarbrough.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Volpe opened the sixth with singles against Zach Pop. The duo pulled off a double steal against Yarbrough before Chisholm scored on Grisham’s groundout. Volpe slid home headfirst on LeMahieu’s ensuing sacrifice fly to tie it at 2.
Yankees starter Gerrit Cole returned to the mound after missing Tuesday’s outing in Philadelphia due to fatigue. He allowed two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings to go along with four strikeouts.
Barger hit an RBI double and Clement hit a run-scoring single in the second as the Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead against Cole, who retired 10 of the final 11 hitters he faced.
Toronto starter Yariel Rodriguez allowed four hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings. The rookie right-hander walked one and fanned four.
–Field Level Media
