Alejandro Kirk homered and hit a tiebreaking double, while Shane Bieber pitched six innings to win for the fourth time in six starts, as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 3-1 on Friday night.
The Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left the game after colliding with Yankees rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. on a chaotic play at third base in the sixth inning. The play involved a grounder to third baseman Ryan McMahon, who stepped on the bag to force out Nathan Lukes, and then threw to first in a bid to retire George Springer.
McMahon's throw was too late, and Springer reached base. Guerrero broke for third, but when Lombard tried to leap over the sliding Guerrero, his left thigh struck Guerrero's head. The Blue Jays' star player was replaced by Charles McAdoo in the seventh inning.
The Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead in the sixth, thanks to Kirk's two-out double off Gerrit Cole. Kirk added some insurance with a two-out homer, his fifth, off Bradley Hanner in the eighth. Bieber (4-2) allowed one run on four hits, and is now 4-1 with a 3.48 ERA in his past six outings.
Gerrit Cole (6-6) allowed two runs, one earned, and five hits in six innings, snapping a streak of three straight winning starts. Cole walked two and struck out five. The loss was the first for the Yankees in their last four games.
Cole's performance was a contrast to his recent outings, where he had won three straight games. However, the Yankees' bullpen was unable to hold the lead, and the Blue Jays took advantage of the opportunity to take the win.
The Yankees will look to bounce back on Saturday, when right-hander Cam Schlittler (10-6, 2.21 ERA) is scheduled to start against the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays had not named a starter for the game.
Source: Yahoo Sports
