Nova loses in 10th after Rivera blows save

TORONTO -- It happens so infrequently, a blown save by Mariano Rivera elicits a response like this: "Shows you he's human.''

Tuesday night came that rare glimpse. Rivera, who was 7-for-7 in save opportunities, could not hold a 5-3 lead as the Blue Jays rallied to send the game into extra innings, and they won, 6-5, against Ivan Nova in the 10th.

Travis Snider's two-out double off Nova brought in Edwin Encarnacion, who singled to start the inning.

Not only was it Rivera's first blown save this season, it was the first time he allowed a run.

"It happens,'' Joe Girardi said. "Mo is as close to perfect in these situations as you can be, but as we know, no one's perfect.''

Or as Mark Teixeira, whose two-run homer off starter Kyle Drabek in the sixth gave the Yankees a 4-2 lead, said of Rivera: "He's not perfect. But he's close to it.''

In the ninth, the Jays' Yunel Escobar lined a leadoff double to center, and with one out, he scored from third on a wild pitch as Jose Bautista walked. Rivera had no wild pitches last year and has only 13 in his career, counting Tuesday night.

"I held the ball too long,'' Rivera said. "I was upset at that one. Situations like that, you cannot do that. I didn't mean to do that, but it happened and I think I have control of that.''

Bautista went to third on Adam Lind's single to right-center. Bautista scored on John McDonald's safety squeeze, and McDonald reached base when Teixeira's flip home was late.

"It's just a great play,'' Teixeira said of the squeeze. "When it's run well, it's almost impossible to defend.''

Jose Molina's single to left loaded the bases, and pitching coach Larry Rothschild made a rare visit to Rivera. He averted a loss by getting Corey Patterson to ground into a 5-5-3 double play.

"Going in there, I had it in mind everything was going to be fine,'' Rivera said. "I wasn't good today. I think the guys did tremendous today and this is my fault. Tomorrow we'll get them.''

A.J. Burnett took a 4-2 lead into the sixth and gave a run back before bequeathing a one-out, base-loaded jam to David Robertson, who escaped without allowing a run. He continued to flourish in pressure situations, striking out Escobar and Snider to end the sixth-inning threat.

Curtis Granderson's solo shot in the seventh made it 5-3. Robertson, Joba Chamberlain and Rafael Soriano protected the lead before Rivera failed.

The Yankees increased their home run total to a major league-best 29, the most they've had after 15 games in club history. The blasts by Teixeira and Granderson made it 10 times this season the Yankees hit multiple homers in a game, also best in the majors.

Although Rivera put the blame on himself, Burnett said the responsibility was his. He allowed three runs -- two earned -- and six hits in 51/3 innings.

"I have to go deeper in that game,'' said Burnett, who struck out six but walked five, matching his total in his first three starts. "Way too many walks. I have to throw more strikes. That's what it comes down to.''

Burnett was 0-3 with a 9.61 ERA in his previous four starts against Toronto. He looked headed for a similar result in the first when Bautista hammered a 1-and-1 pitch into the second deck in left for his fourth homer.

The Yankees responded in the second after Drabek walked Nick Swisher and Eric Chavez. Jorge Posada's single to left-center scored Swisher and sent Chavez to third. Russell Martin grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, but Chavez scored to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

A strange sequence, featuring a Burnett error, allowed the Blue Jays to tie it in the third. Bautista walked with one out and advanced on a wild pitch. Lind grounded to Burnett, who turned to look Bautista back to second. Burnett ran straight at Bautista, who was caught heading to third before deciding to retreat to second. Burnett's wide throw caromed off Derek Jeter's glove and Bautista took third. Aaron Hill's sacrifice fly drove in Bautista.