AL East Showdown: New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays Free Pick

During his brief time in the majors, Greg Bird has developed a knack for hitting big home runs.

New York is now just 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Blue Jays, who have dropped three of four. The teams were to meet for the final time this season last night.

“It’s tough with two outs but he’s done it so many times, so many guys in the locker room have done that really“, said Gibbons following Tuesday’s contest.

“We would have dug ourselves a pretty deep hole”, Girardi said. The home run was Bird’s 10th in his first 34 major-league games (a 48-homer pace over 162 games) and his third in as many days; it was the seventh of those 10 home runs to result in a lead change.

“We’re still definitely in it”. “Now it’s off to tomorrow”.

Lowe got ahead of Bird 0-2, but Bird laid off the next two pitches to work the count even before taking a changeup away over the rightfield wall for a game-breaking three-run homer. “Great piece of hitting”.

Jacoby Ellsbury led off the game with a double and scored when McCann drove a pitch off the wall for a long single. Slade Heathcott reached on catcher’s interference before Bird drove a 2-2 pitch into the right-field bullpen. “They’re nothing to sneeze at”.

“He’s going to get some huge outs for us down the road”, pitching coach Pete Walker said of Sanchez.

Bird ripped his helmet off and slammed it to the ground in delight as he returned to the dugout following his homer.

I wish I could say I have nothing else to lose with my pitiful Play of the Day performance, but that’s not entirely accurate.

In other games with postseason implications, Pittsburgh and Chicago closed in on playoff wild cards in the National League with victories, while Minnesota and the Los Angeles Angels got important wins to stay in contention in the AL wild card chase. It was Bautista’s second outfield assist of the game – he also threw out Dustin Ackley at third base in the seventh. He gave up the game-tying homer to Blue Jays C Dioner Navarro in the ninth Tuesday as he blew the attempt for his 35th save of the season. The blown save was Miller’s second with the Yankees. Of his past 17 hits, 13 have been for extra bases, five doubles and eight homers.

Encarnacion hit a solo homer in the bottom of the 10th but Toronto lost for the third time in four games. He belted a 2-2 pitch into the second deck for his 11th homer of the year. Toronto tied it in the fourth on a two-out RBI single by Justin Smoak.

Santana (6-4) turned in his fifth straight stellar start, surrendering five hits, one run and one walk while striking out seven.

Estrada left after intentionally walking Ellsbury and was replaced by Aaron Loup, who gave up an infield single to Brett Gardner that loaded the bases. This one was between Liam Hendriks and Alex Rodriguez and lasted all of three pitches, with Rodriguez swinging over a 92-mph slider off the plate for strike three.

The Yankees have their three best starters lined up for the final series, with Luis Severino, Tanaka and Michael Pineda closing out the season. There is no timetable for his return. Toronto’s Marcus Stroman (2-0, 3.00 earned-run average) is scheduled to start the series finale against fellow right-hander Ivan Nova (6-8, 5.11).

There was one on in the first when Trout launched his 40th homer into left-center to make it 2-0.

The top of the 10th started ominously for Toronto.

ST. LOUIS (AP) – John Lackey pitched seven strong innings, rookie Tommy Pham continued his productive hitting and the Cardinals beat the Reds.