Blue Jays rally from 5 down, end Yankees’ 9-game win streak
Jun 19, 2022, 2:50 AM | Updated: 3:30 pm
Toronto Blue Jays center-fielder George Springer, right, receives the home run jacket from Otto Lopez, after hitting a solo home run against the New York Yankees batter in fifth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, June 19, 2022. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
(Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
TORONTO (AP) — Lourdes Gurriel Jr. launched his fifth career grand slam, Teoscar Hernández hit a go-ahead, three-run homer and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied to stop the Yankees’ nine-game winning streak, beating New York 10-9 Sunday.
Josh Donaldson, Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres, Kyle Higashioka and Marwin Gonzalez each hit home runs for the Yankees, who led 8-3 in the sixth inning. New York lost for just the second time in 18 games.
“This was going to be an easy win, that’s what I thought,” Yankees right-hander Luis Severino said. “You know, it’s not over until it’s over. They made a great comeback.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 17th home run and George Springer also connected for the Blue Jays.
Toronto got all of its runs on homers and became the first Yankees opponent to score in double digits this season. New York leads the majors with a 49-17 record.
Yankees relievers Miguel Castro and Wandy Peralta (1-1) couldn’t protect the five-run lead.
Gurriel made it 8-7 with his two-out slam off Castro in the sixth, awakening the crowd of 44,395.
“Credit to Gurriel,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He worked an at-bat, got to two strikes, and didn’t miss his pitch. “
Hernández brought the fans to their feet again in the seventh with his third home run in five games, making it 10-8.
“Against the Yankees, every game is going to be like that,” Hernández said of the intense, back-and-forth matchup. “Everybody knows the team that they have, the run they’re on right now.”
Yimi Garcia (1-3) struck out three in 1 1/3 innings for the win.
Tim Mayza gave up Rizzo’s pinch-hit homer in the eighth, cutting it to 10-9, then allowed an infield hit to Gonzalez and walked pinch-hitter Jose Trevino. Closer Jordan Romano came on and got DJ LeMahieu to fly out, then struck out Aaron Judge to end the threat.
Romano wrapped it up in the ninth for his 17th save in 19 chances, getting Rizzo to ground out to strand the tying run at third base.
“We were right there and it just didn’t go our way,” Rizzo said.
Boone said he didn’t use speedy Isiah Kiner-Falefa as a pinch-runner in the ninth because the shortstop has been dealing with a sore left hamstring for the past few days.
“I wasn’t going to mess with it today,” Boone said.
Kiner-Falefa said he hopes to return to the lineup Monday at Tampa Bay.
Pitching for the first time since he was scratched from Thursday’s start against the Rays because of illness, Severino allowed five runs and three hits in five-plus innings.
“For me, it’s going to be tough because I feel like I could do more for this team,” Severino said. “I could have gone six, I could have gone seven.”
Severino walked a season-high four and struck out nine.
“He looked strong to me, his stuff looked good,” Boone said. “I thought he got a little bit better as he rolled along there.”
Donaldson spiked his bat in anger after being hit by a pitch from Blue Jays left-hander Yuseki Kikuchi in the first. After Giancarlo Stanton struck out, the inning ended when catcher Alejandro Kirk threw behind Donaldson to pick him off first base.
Guerrero gave Toronto an early lead by connecting off Severino in the bottom of the first. Torres, who had three hits and three RBIs, homered in the second.
Donaldson, who won the 2015 AL MVP with Toronto, flipped his bat and admired his shot after his two-run homer in the third. After crossing the plate, Donaldson did a celebratory dance with Joey Gallo, who had walked ahead of the two-out drive to left.
Torres hit a two-run double in the fifth and Higashioka and Gonzalez hit back-to-back homers off right-hander Max Castillo, who was making his major league debut.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: LHP Aroldis Chapman (left Achilles tendinitis) threw a bullpen session, not live batting practice, at New York’s spring training complex in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday. He will throw live batting practice Tuesday, Boone said.
Blue Jays: RHP prospect Nate Pearson left Sunday’s rehab outing for Triple-A Buffalo after two pitches because of a sore right shoulder.
CATCH WITH DAD
Alex Montoyo, the son of Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo, tossed the ceremonial first pitch to his dad.
IN TUNE WITH POP
Blue Jays SS Bo Bichette listed Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” as his walk-up song, the same tune his father, Dante, once used as slugger for the Colorado Rockies.
IN A PINCH
Rizzo’s pinch-hit homer was the first of his career.
BRINGER OF DINGERS
Donaldson has 66 career home runs in Toronto, the most of any active player.
ROSTER MOVES
Toronto selected Castillo from Triple-A Buffalo and optioned RHP Casey Lawrence to Triple-A.
UP NEXT
Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (6-1, 3.33) starts Monday as New York heads to Florida to begin a three-game series against the Rays. LHP Shane McClanahan (7-3, 1.84) starts for Tampa Bay.
Blue Jays: RHP José Berríos (5-2, 4.65) starts Monday as the Blue Jays open a three-game series against the White Sox in Chicago. RHP Lance Lynn (0-0, 6.23) goes for the White Sox.
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