Yankees Stay Atop AL East with 11-3 Win Over Blue Jays

by

Aug 25, 2010

TORONTO  — Curtis Granderson hit a three-run homer, Marcus Thames added a two-run drive and three other Yankees hit solo blasts as New York pounded the Toronto Blue Jays 11-5 on Tuesday night.

Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mark Teixeira also connected as the Yankees won for the sixth time in eight games.

Teixeira and Posada both went 4-for-5 with two RBIs, while Thames and Granderson both had three hits. New York's 17 hits were one shy of its season high.

Right-hander Dustin Moseley (4-2) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings to win consecutive starts for the first time this season. He walked four and struck out four.

Chad Gaudin pitched two innings and Kerry Wood worked the ninth for the Yankees.

New York got its offensive barrage started early, with Teixeira hitting an RBI single in the first and Eduardo Nunez driving in a run with a fielder's choice grounder in the second.

The Yankees chased Blue Jays left-hander Marc Rzepczynski (1-2) with a four-run, three-homer third. Teixeira was the first to go deep, hitting a one-out drive into the second deck in left, his 28th. Robinson Cano walked and Thames blasted his fifth, a shot to left, before Posada followed with his 16th, also to left. It was the sixth time this season the Yankees have hit back-to-back homers.

Rzepczynski allowed six runs and eight hits in three innings, his shortest career start. He walked two and struck out one.

Toronto got one back on Vernon Wells' run-scoring single in the fourth, his first RBI since Aug. 8, but the Yankees responded with a four-run fifth off reliever Brian Tallet. Granderson homered to right, his 14th, and Jeter ended a 131 at-bat homerless streak with a shot to left, giving him 15 consecutive seasons with at least 10 homers.

The Yankees have 44 four-run innings this season, the most in the majors.

Posada made it 11-1 with an RBI single in the top of the sixth before Blue Jays catcher John Buck answered with an RBI single in the bottom half. Adam Lind tried to score from second, but was thrown out at the plate by Granderson.

Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher left after fouling a pitch off his left knee in the seventh. Facing reliever Casey Janssen, Swisher fouled a 1-2 pitch off his knee and fell to the ground in pain. Trainer Gene Monahan and manager Joe Girardi came out to check on Swisher, who stayed in the game for two more pitches before being replaced by Brett Gardner, who struck out looking. The strikeout was charged to Swisher.

Toronto closed the gap with a three runs in the bottom half against Gaudin. Wells hit an RBI single and Lind followed with a two-run double.

Notes
Yankees RHP Javier Vazquez is moving to the bullpen for the time being, with RHP Ivan Nova set to start in his place Sunday at Chicago. … Toronto LHP Ricky Romero has been away from the team the past two days suffering from strep throat. … New York announced plans for a monument to former owner George Steinbrenner at Yankee Stadium's Monument Park, to be unveiled Sept. 20.

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