Recap: Toronto vs. NY Yankees
Sports Network | August 19, 2008
Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - A.J. Burnett was sensational on the hill, Adam Lind hit a game-tying homer in the seventh and the Blue Jays got a lift from Johnny Damon's fielding gaffe in the eighth, as Toronto edged the New York Yankees, 2-1, in the opener of a three-game set.
Burnett (16-9) allowed just one run on five hits over eight frames while striking out a season-high 13 batters and walking one to move within a game of Cleveland's Cliff Lee for the AL lead in wins. The right-hander also recorded his sixth straight win. B.J. Ryan threw a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Marco Scutaro had the go-ahead RBI double in the eighth for the Jays, who have won six of their last seven to move one game behind the Yankees for third place in the AL East and a game back of NY in the Wild Card standings for the third spot. Joe Inglett scored the run on Scutaro's double. Alex Rios went 0- for-4 to snap a 26-game hitting streak against the Yankees.
Darrell Rasner did not factor in the decision despite a phenomenal outing in which he yielded one run on three hits over 6 2/3 frames. Jose Veras (3-2) was saddled with the loss as he gave up the deciding run in 1 1/3 innings.
Damon scored the lone run for the Yankees, who have recorded just three wins over their last 10 games. Bobby Abreu was the only Yankee with multiple hits, a pair of doubles, and drove Damon in. The Yankees have fallen 11 games behind Tampa Bay for the lead in the AL East and 6 1/2 behind Boston in the Wild Card standings.
Inglett sparked a go-ahead, two-out rally in the eighth with a single. Scutaro then hit a routine fly ball to Damon in center, who moved into position to catch the ball. Damon, though, let the ball bounce out of his glove before crashing into the wall. It was ultimately ruled a double for Scutaro as Inglett easily crossed home.
The fielding mistake was the second of the game for Damon, who let a similar situation occur in the first inning. The original blooper moved two runners into scoring position, though Rasner worked around it to continue unscathed.
Alex Rodriguez led off the ninth with a bloop single to shallow right off Ryan, but was thrown out at second trying to turn it into a double. Jason Giambi went down swinging for the second out and Xavier Nady flied out to Rios in right on the first pitch he saw to end the game.
The Yankees got on the board in the first inning. Damon led off with a walk and, after Derek Jeter went down swinging, Abreu followed with an RBI double.
Lind then stepped to the plate with one out in the seventh and single- handedly ruined Rasner's outing. Toronto had only two hits before its left fielder deposited Rasner's 3-2 slider just over the fence in right to tie the game at 1-1.
Rasner responded by getting Lyle Overbay to ground out, though Veras was called in to record the final out.
The Blue Jays kicked off a crucial six-game homestand against the Yankees and Boston Tuesday. Toronto is a solid 35-26 as the host this season...The Yankees and Blue Jays are tied 5-5 in this year's season series, but NY has lost three of four games at the Rogers Centre.
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