Blue Jays rally from 5 down, end Yankees' 9-game win streak

Sun, Jun 19, 2022
MLB News (AP)

TORONTO (AP) - Lourdes Gurriel Jr. launched his fifth career grand slam, Teoscar Hernandez 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.

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.

Hernandez brought the fans to their feet again in the seventh with his third home run in five games, making it 10-8.

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.

Pitching for the first time since he was scratched from Thursday's start against the Rays because of illness, Yankees right-hander Luis Severino allowed five runs and three hits in five-plus innings. He walked a season-high four and struck out nine.

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, manager Aaron 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.

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 Jose Berrios (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.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports