Five-run sixth lifts Jays over Yankees

Joe Girardi called Bartolo Colon a pitcher who transformed himself from "a pleasant surprise early on'' to a dependable starter.

"He's a guy now who you expect it from,'' Girardi said before Monday night's game against the Blue Jays. "When you don't get the location, you're a little bit shocked . . . He's a guy you expect to give you distance. He's a guy you expect to keep you right in the game and throw a ton of strikes.''

After hearing that, if you believe in jinxes and such, you knew what was to come.

Colon pitched well early before blowing up in a five-run sixth in which he displayed few of those attributes, contributing to a 7-3 loss to Toronto in front of 41,946 at the Stadium.

"He wasn't quite as sharp as we've seen him,'' Girardi said.

Colon (2-3, 3.77), who allowed a season-worst six runs in six innings, wasn't solely to blame, of course.

Toronto righthander Carlos Villanueva, making his first start since Oct. 3, 2009, after 13 relief appearances this season, handcuffed the Yankees for five innings. He allowed one run, two hits and a walk, striking out five.

The Yankees (25-21), who stayed in a virtual tie atop the AL East with Tampa Bay, struck out 10 times, went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.

Colon allowed Jose Bautista's major league-leading 19th homer in his 137th at-bat of the season in the first, but he cruised into the top of the sixth with the score tied at 1-1.

The Blue Jays batted around in the inning, an inning that included some debatable strategy by Girardi.

Corey Patterson led off by lining a double over rightfielder Chris Dickerson's head. Wanting no part of Bautista, Girardi called for an intentional walk -- hardly a questionable move. Yunel Escobar's sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third and Girardi had Colon issue a second intentional walk, this one to Juan Rivera to load the bases.

"We got a ground-ball pitcher on the mound. The next three guys were 0-for-6 with four strikeouts,'' Girardi said in explaining the strategy. "We took a shot and it didn't work.''

On his first pitch, Colon did get the ground ball he and Girardi was hoping for from Aaron Hill, but it was a firmly hit ball that shot through the hole into leftfield to put the Blue Jays ahead. Colon then walked Eric Thames on four pitches to make it 3-1. On the next pitch, J.P. Arencibia doubled into the gap in right-center for a 6-1 lead.

"They did us a favor,'' Bautista said of the walk to Rivera.

Colon didn't question the move when Girardi came to the mound to tell him to walk Rivera.

"I told the manager we'll do whatever he wanted to do,'' Colon said through his translator.

Colon, winless in his last five starts, was more upset about the four-pitch walk to Thames.

"I was trying to pitch outside to get the double-play ground ball,'' he said, "and I didn't do it.''

The Yankees got three RBIs from Robinson Cano -- he drove in Curtis Granderson, who drew three leadoff walks, each time -- but otherwise had a frustrating night. They weren't able to keep up the momentum built when they won five of their previous six games.

"We've been playing pretty good, I think,'' said Derek Jeter, who went 0-for-5. "You'd like to string together 10, 15 in a row, but that's not always going to be the case.''