home run and had three RBIs, Nick Swisher also connected and the New
York Yankees completed a two-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with
an 8-4 victory Wednesday night.
Reliever Alfredo Aceves (7-1) pitched
two innings for the victory as the Yankees used a four-run seventh
inning to win their third straight overall after losing three in a row
in Chicago.
The AL East-leading Yankees, winless
in eight games against second-place Boston, return home to open a
four-game series against the Red Sox on Thursday night.
Phil Coke got two outs, Phil Hughes worked the eighth and David Robertson wrapped it up in the ninth for New York.
Damon went 3 for 5 and hit his second homer in two games, a solo shot off Brian Tallet in the ninth, his 19th.
Adam Lind and Marco Scutaro homered for the Blue Jays, now 2-7 against New York.
The loser was Toronto left-hander
Marc Rzepczynski (1-3), who allowed four runs and five hits in six-plus
innings. He walked one and struck out seven.
New York sent 10 men to the plate in the seventh and erased a 3-2 deficit.
Rzepczynski had retired 10 straight
when Swisher led off with a homer to left, his 18th. After Robinson
Cano followed with a double, right-hander Josh Roenicke relieved.
Melky Cabrera grounded out, moving
Cano to third, and pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui hit an RBI single. Jose
Molina walked and Derek Jeter struck out before Damon and Teixeira
followed with run-scoring singles. Alex Rodriguez walked to load the
bases for Swisher, who struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch.
Toronto took a 2-0 lead in the first
against New York starter Sergio Mitre. The righty struck out the first
two batters but followed that by giving up four straight hits,
including RBI singles to Vernon Wells and Alex Rios.
The Yankees tied it in the third
when Jerry Hairston walked, went to second on Jeter's single and scored
on a base hit by Damon. Teixeira followed with an RBI fielder's choice.
Toronto chased Mitre in the fifth
when Lind hit a one-out solo shot to right, his 23rd, and Lyle Overbay
followed with a single to center.
Mitre, who allowed five runs and
seven hits in just three innings in his last start, a 10-5 loss to the
White Sox on July 31, was ineffective again in this one. The righty
allowed three runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings and has not pitched
into the seventh in any of his four Yankees starts. He walked two and
struck out three.
Scutaro led off the seventh with a homer to left off Aceves, his ninth, cutting it to 6-4.
Rodriguez started at DH but took
over at third base in the seventh, forcing the pitcher into the lineup.
Eric Hinske pinch hit for Coke in the seventh and restored New York's
three-run cushion with a sacrifice fly off Jesse Carlson.
Wells made the defensive play of the game, a running, leaping catch at the wall in center on Damon's leadoff drive in the sixth.
NOTES: The Yankees recalled RHP
Anthony Claggett from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and designated
infielder Cody Ransom for assignment. … RHP Joba Chamberlain, who
will start against Boston on Thursday, flew back to New York ahead of the
team earlier in the day. Chamberlain (7-2, 3.58) will face Red Sox RHP
John Smoltz (2-4, 7.12).