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| Melky Cabrera sparks Blue Jays to win. Photo Credit: Fred Thornhill |
Despite falling behind 6-0 after five innings of play, the Yankees fought back valiantly to tie the game at 6-6 in the Top of the 7th inning. However, Melky Cabrera’s walk off bunt scored Jose Reyes from second base giving the Blue Jays the 7-6 victory at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Reyes sparked the winning run by getting a leadoff double to right field.
By: Sunil Sunderraj
Toronto broke a scoreless deadlock in the third inning when Dioner Navarro crushed a David Phelps hanging curve ball deep into the second deck at Rogers Centre, giving the Jays an early 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Blue Jays loaded up the bases after Derek Jeter was unable to throw Edwin Encarnacion out at first base on a routine ground ball. That opened the door for Toronto to have a big inning offensively. Colby Rasmus came up and hammered a Phelps breaking ball of the right field wall bringing in two runs initially to make the lead 5-0.
The Yankees infield actually was able to get Rasmus hung up between first and second base. Jeter attempted to run him down at first base but was unable to do so as Edwin Encarnacion raced across home plate clearing the bases. Toronto extended their lead to 6-0 at that point in the game.
In the top of the six inning, New York would slowly start their climb back into this game. It started with Derek Jeter launching his second home run of the season over the left field wall putting the Yankees on the scoreboard. The rally continued into the next inning as Brian McCann doubled to left field which was preceded by two run bomb by Brian Roberts that hooked just inside the foul pole reducing the Blue Jays lead to 6-3.
All the momentum had shifted to the Yankees. It looked as if the Jays were just trying to hang on and try to make the six runs they had stand up.
New York continued their comeback as Brett Gardner looped a ball into shallow left field and off the glove of Cabrera for a double. Derek Jeter followed with a walk. This set the table for Jacoby Ellsbury who promptly delivered a base hit to left field. On Cabrera’s throw to home ,which scored Gardner, the ball got away from Navarro at the plate enabling Jeter and Ellsbury to move up to second and third base respectively. Mark Teixeira kept the rally going by grounding up the middle to Jose Reyes whose throw skipped by Juan Encarnacion at first base allowing Jeter and Ellsbury to come around and score. New York was all the way back even coming from six down to tie the game up.
A violent collision at first base witnessed Encarnacion taking a Teixeira elbow to the back of the head. Encarnacion remained on the ground for several moments before getting up and remaining in the game.
David Phelps who pitched brilliantly against Toronto last week at Yankee Stadium yielding only two runs, was rocked last night. In five innings of work, Phelps surrendered six runs on eight hits, but did strike out seven Blue Jays.
Adam Warren took the loss in relief while Casey Janssen notched the victory for Toronto. After winning four in a row last week, the Yankees are on a four game skid. The Roller coaster season for New York continues.