Yankees somehow survive epic showdown for biggest win of year

The Toronto Blue Jays were outs away from their dozenth win in a row, and could have been 1.5 games up on the Yankees in the AL East. While not insurmountable in the least, the way it has been going, 1.5 seems like a lot more. “I was running out of gas there”, said Miller, who threw nine sliders and four fastballs in the at-bat. “You’ll also get a feel for the speed of pitches when you’re up at the plate”.

Price yielded a two-out bloop double to Headley in the sixth, but got out of the inning with an assist from second baseman Ryan Goins.

This weekend, it could be argued, is the Toronto Blue Jays’ most pivotal series in two decades: a mid-August date with the New York Yankees, jostling for first place in the division.

And if any team was going to come back and win a game like that with a clutch bomb and late-inning relief pitching, shoot, why not the Yankees? Nova left the game after throwing seven innings of three run ball, allowing just five hits and one walk, striking out three Blue Jays. New York has lost five of its past six. He also hit two batters and struck out three. But he struck out six and kept the Yankees off the board until the eighth. Unfortunately for the rejuvenated Toronto fan base, the eternal laws of baseball say a correction is soon in order for both the scorching Jays and the slumping crew from the Bronx. They’ve had a thing for discarded, fringe Yankees prospects lately.

“I’ll never forget when my dad forced me to watch Joe Carter hit the homer (in 1993) to win the series”, he said.

He swung through two high fastballs, took another for a ball and then slammed a fourth straight 97-mph pitch to right-center for his 11th homer.

“It was a tough decision, no question about it”, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “I felt good tonight”.

Yankees right-hander Dellin Betances pitched the eighth and left-hander Andrew Miller worked a nervous ninth to pick up his 26th save of the season. Russell Martin flied out for the first out of the inning before Chris Colabello battled long enough to work a walk.

On an agitating afternoon for the Yankees, Brett Gardner slammed down his helmet with two hands after grounding out with a runner on second to end the third. “They’ve got a great squad”. “We’re not going to give up”.

Nelson Cruz went hitless in three at-bats, halting his 21-game hitting streak.

“Today, I was really mad after that first inning, so more motivation to try and get some hits”, Greinke said.

“The whole inning was such a grind”, Miller said. “With the crowd, I was a little amped-up and I saw that I threw the first pitch by him”. They have homered in 12 consecutive games and 24 of 25 since the All-Star break, connecting 42 times overall in that span. “That was a playoff atmosphere”. Revere said he thought he could be traded to Toronto after learning a Blue Jays scout was at Wrigley Field during the Phillies’ weekend series in Chicago.

The Blue Jays set themselves up in this one in the third, when Kevin Pillar opened the inning by getting hit on the arm.

What this means is that the Blue Jays have been right there in almost every single game. This game will feature Nova (RHP) on the mound against the Blue Jays, who have a 49-41 record when they take on a right-handed starter.

Tulowitzki hit into a fielder’s choice to score the first run while a double into the leftfield corner by Jose Bautista brought the score to 2-0.