By Canadian Press

Yankees beat Blue Jays 5-2, clinch AL East title

Sep 27, 2022 | 8:26 PM

TORONTO — Gleyber Torres drove in three runs with three singles to help the New York Yankees clinch the American League East title with a 5-2 win against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.

Aaron Judge also scored twice with four walks and a first-inning line out to third as he remained stuck at 60 homers, one shy of the AL record set by Roger Maris in 1961.

The patient Judge has gone seven games without a homer since his 60th on Sept. 20. But he has walked 12 times in the last seven outings.

The Yankees (95-59) won their eighth in nine outings, while the Blue Jays (87-68) halted their three-game win streak before 40,528 at Rogers Centre.

George Springer smacked a solo shot to straightaway centre for his 52nd career leadoff homer on the second pitch from Yankees starter Jameson Taillon (14-5).

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Taillon settled down after Springer’s at-bat to retire 16 of the next 17 Blue Jays. Only Whit Merrifield reached base on an infield hit before Springer, and Bo Bichette singled in the sixth inning.

Springer scored on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s shot down the left field line but, like Bichette before him, was thrown out at second base.

Taillon’s 94-pitch outing saw him depart with one out in the eighth inning. He gave up two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and no free passes.

Toronto starter Jose Berrios (11-7) was knocked out of the game after 5 1/3 innings. He yielded nine hits on five runs with two walks and seven strikeouts.

The Yankees’ offence picked up in the third inning. Catcher Kyle Higashioka, who also belted out three hits, began the two-run splurge with a single and advanced to second after Judge walked.

Anthony Rizzo’s single to right scored Higashioka and Judge followed him home after a Torres bouncer up the middle.

Judge scored again in the fifth after a leadoff walk, followed by singles from Rizzo and Torres.

The Yankees picked up two more an inning later thanks to back-to-back doubles from Higashioka and Aaron Hicks and another RBI single from Torres.

FIRST PITCH

Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews delivered a ball high with his ceremonial pitch to Alek Manoah.

Matthews wanted to throw from the mound. However, he was instructed by the Blue Jays mascot to make his toss in front of the mound.

Matthews played baseball and hockey as a kid in Scottsdale, AZ. His father played baseball at the collegiate level. Mitch Marner and Michael Bunting accompanied their linemate to the Rogers Centre.

UP NEXT

Mitch White (1-6) will face Yankees righty Gerrit Cole (12-7) in the series rubber match on Wednesday. In his only career start against New York, White gave up seven hits and one run with five strikeouts in four innings in a no-decision at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 20.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2022.

Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press