The Blue Jays extend their winning streak to two whole games after a 5-2 win over the visiting Yankees, disappointing the New York fans, which included one Paul Simon, who traveled to the Rogers Centre.
Brett Gardner scored the game's first run, thanks in part to a Josh Thole mishandling of an R.A. Dickey knuckleball leading to a passed ball. After giving up that single run, Dickey sailed through the next few innings until the top of the fifth when fan favourite Alex Rodriguez led off with a solo homer. Dickey allowed another couple of singles and a walk that inning but got out of it unscathed.
In the bottom of the second, Kevin Pillar hit a ball off his shoetop and blooped a single to shallow centre to score Brett Lawrie for his fifth career RBI. It wasn't pretty (and it looked like his eyes were closed when he hit it) but it worked to put the Jays in flight. In the next inning, Jose Reyes got on with a walk then Edwin Encarnacion cashed him in with a single to give the home team a brief lead.
After the A-Rod home run, the Blue Jays answered right away in the bottom of the inning. Reyes got on base again, lining a double to right followed by a Ryan Goins single to the same direction. Edwin Encarnacion then became the third batter in a row to hit a ball at Ichiro Suzuki, a deep fly near the wall that Suzuki misjudged. It clanged off of his glove and the error brought in Reyes to score the go-ahead (and later, the winning) run. Adam Lind doubled in Goins and then a sac fly by Moises Sierra brought in Encarnacion to score the fifth and final run.
Back to the pitching side, Dickey was taken out of the game with one out in the seventh in favour of Aaron Loup. We have seen complaints that Dickey is left in the game too long, so Gibbons decided to adapt, telling Brendan Kennedy that Dickey had done his job already so there is no point in making him stay later, when he tends to give up long balls. Dickey finished his 6.1 innings with six runs and two runs (one earned), striking out six and walking three. Aaron Loup came in to strike out three of the five batters he faced, and Sergio Santos struck out A-Rod, the only guy he faced. Casey Janssen came in for his second save opportunity in as many days and got the Yankees 1-2-3 without any drama.
Phil Hughes gave up all five runs (three earned) in 4.2 innings, striking out and walking three. Long reliever David Huff came in and mystified the Blue Jays batters holding them hitless for the remaining of the game, walking just one and striking out five.
No wonder why Buffalo Bisons manager Marty Brown wasn't ever really happy with Moises Sierra when he was in AAA--he looks like he leaves his brain off sometimes. In the bottom of the second he was on first and Brett Lawrie was on third when Josh Thole was batting. Thole hit a grounder to second baseman Robinson Cano but Sierra kept his head down and didn't follow the play. Instead of slowing down or avoiding the fielder, Sierra basically runs right past Cano, who tagged him and threw to first for an easy double play.
Jays of the Day! Edwin Encarnacion (+.183 WPA), R..A. Dickey (+.094) was close enough.
Suckage Jays Josh Thole (-.151). I'll give Sierra a half suckage for that baserunning blunder.