Yankees beat Blue Jays as Spencer Jones' two-run homer backs Cam Schlittler
Yankees' Cam Schlittler looks on during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on Friday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Rookie Spencer Jones hit a towering two-run homer in the second inning that was upheld on replay as the Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-1, on Friday night for their fifth straight victory.
The Yankees (73-55), who are 18 games over .500 for only the third time this season, moved within three games of the AL East-leading Rays (76-52), who lost to the Orioles. After the games of Aug. 15, the Yankees were 6 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay and seven games out in the loss column.
Cam Schlittler (11-6) held the Blue Jays to one run and six hits in six innings. He allowed one earned run or fewer for the MLB-leading 19th time and got his first win since July 24.
In the last 22 games beginning July 28, the Yankees have gotten 18 excellent performances by their starting pitchers, who have a 1.16 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP and 111 strikeouts in 108 2/3 innings in those games.
After Trent Grisham opened the second with a walk, Jones lifted Spencer Arrighetti’s 2-and-1 curveball to rightfield. The ball stayed fair, passed the foul pole and landed about halfway up the second deck.
Jones watched the flight of the ball before starting his home run trot. As he was about halfway through, Toronto manager John Schneider called for a review, but the home run stood after a brief delay.
It was Jones’ seventh homer and the second time he homered in consecutive games. He also went deep at Wrigley Field July 31-Aug. 1.
Jose Caballero lifted a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead in the fourth.
Schlittler pitched with runners on for most of his outing. He struck out Jesus Sanchez with two on to end the third and retired Myles Straw with two on to end the fourth before getting an inning-ending double play in the fifth.
Alejandro Kirk had an RBI single in the fifth that extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
After opener Mason Fluharty faced four hitters, Arrighetti (7-6) allowed three runs in 3 1/3 innings in his Toronto debut.
Brent Headrick struck out pinch hitter George Springer with a runner on third to end the seventh. Paul Blackburn pitched a scoreless eighth and David Bednar pitched a scoreless ninth, recording his 30th save in 33 chances.
More MLB news
