Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in three runs as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting New York Yankees 5-4 on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series.
Guerrero’s two-run single in a four-run sixth inning gave Toronto the lead as the Blue Jays won for the fourth time in five games.
Brendon Little (4-1) got the win in relief despite allowing a run in his lone inning. Jeff Hoffman pitched around a single in the ninth to earn his 19th save.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a two-run home run and Cody Bellinger added a solo shot for the Yankees, who had won three of their previous four contests.
Down 3-1, Toronto scored four runs in the sixth with the help of two errors.
Yankees starter Carlos Rodon left after a Davis Schneider’s leadoff double. Mark Leiter Jr. (4-5) allowed Myles Straw’s infield single to shortstop, with Straw taking second on Anthony Volpe’s throwing error. Pinch hitter Nathan Lukes hit an RBI single to left. Lukes took second on a wild pitch, and Straw scored on Ernie Clement’s infield single to third.
Jonathan Loaisiga replaced Leiter, and a catcher’s-interference call with George Springer batting loaded the bases. Guerrero followed with a two-run single to left. Springer was thrown out at third on the play and left the game with an undisclosed injury.
Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer retired the first nine batters he faced before Trent Grisham led off the fourth with a single to left. Bellinger and Aaron Judge struck out before Chisholm homered to right on a first-pitch slider.
Toronto halved the deficit in the fifth against Rodon. Clement singled on a line drive to third that Chisholm dropped. Clement took second on a groundout, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Guerrero’s groundout.
Scherzer allowed two runs, three hits and no walks while striking out seven in five innings.
Little took over in the sixth and Jasson Dominguez led off with an infield single. With one out, Judge was walked intentionally before Giancarlo Stanton stroked a two-out RBI single to center.
Rodon allowed two runs, five hits and three walks with four strikeouts in five-plus innings.
Mason Fluharty, one of six Jays pitchers on the evening, served up Bellinger’s leadoff homer in the eighth.
Grisham left the game due to hamstring tightness in the fifth inning.
Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette was out because of right knee discomfort.
–Field Level Media
