Yankees escape Jays, stay tied in AL East with Orioles

Toronto, ON, Canada (4E Sports) – The New York Yankees bounced back from a four-run deficit, scoring eight runs in the last four innings to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 9-6, Sunday and remain tied for first in the American League East with the Baltimore Orioles.

The crowd of 31,418 that packed the Rogers Centre was already in celebration mode when the Jays went ahead, 5-1 after five innings but fell silent when the Yankees scored four runs in the sixth and seventh to tie the game.

Eduardo Nunez’s sacrifice fly gave the Yankees the lead and Derek Jeter followed by punching a run-scoring single off Toronto reliever Brandon Lyon, driving home Brett Gardner for the insurance run.

Curtis Granderson drove the final nail in the Jays’ coffin with a two-run single in the ninth inning for his 99th and 100th RBIs of the season.

With the victory, the Yankees retained their share of first place with the Orioles, who defeated the Red Sox, 6-3, earlier in Baltimore.

A 5-4 comeback victory by the Los Angeles Angels over the Texas Rangers in the first game of a doubleheader kept New York from clinching a postseason berth.

Boone Logan (7-2) picked up the win in relief as starter Phil Hughes lasted just 4 2/3 innings after permitting five runs on eight hits with four strikeouts. He was fourth straight New York starter to turn in a start of fewer than six innings.

Hughes surrendered two runs in the first inning, including a Yunel Escobar RBI double, and a two-run homer to Brett Lawrie in the Jays’ three-run fifth inning. Moises Sierra and Adam Lind also hit RBIs off the Yankees starter.

Derek Lowe restored order with 1 2/3 scoreless innings but the Yankees were handcuffed by Toronto starter Henderson Alvarez, who allowed two runs over six innings.

Eric Chavez tried to spark the Yankees’ offense with a third-inning solo homer but New York did not respond until the fifth when Robinson Cano scored on a wild pitch.

After Alvarez was relieved, the Yankees got going, tying the game in the seventh after Ichiro’s RBI sacrifice fly, Cano’s run-scoring double and Alex Rodriguez’s dash to home plate after Aaron Loup’s wild pitch.

David Robertson pitched a scoreless eighth and Rafael Soriano gave up a run in the ninth before forcing Adam Lind to a groundout for the game’s last out.

Darren Oliver (3-4) absorbed the loss after walking Granderson and giving up a single to Raul Ibanez that resulted to two runs.

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