Blue Jays manager John Gibbons let Stroman pitch one more inning before turning the game over to the bullpen.
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After Toronto scored twice in the ninth off Dellin Betances to climb within 7-6, and the bases were loaded when Blake Parker replaced the NY closer with two outs. Blue Jays third base coach Luis Rivera watches. With injuries to the rotation NY might make a call up from the minors or go with a pitcher by committee.
But Gardner ran back, squared himself on the warning track and jumped high and back into the padding. He held on for the catch, immediately leaped in the air to celebrate and tossed the ball high. A few minutes later, a replay of the catch drew another ovation from the fans. With the Yanks down 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, fellow rookie Aaron Judge singled before Austin hit a two-run shot to give NY a brief 3-2 lead.
Kluber (15-9) had won his previous seven decisions, a span during which he dominated the way he did while winning the Cy Young Award in 2014.
The Birds continued their 2016 dominance of the Tampa Bay Rays with an 11-2 blowout victory September 6, assuring a series win by taking the first two games at Tropicana Field.
ATHLETICS 4, ANGELS 1 The entire infield ran to the mound to congratulate Jharel Cotton on a memorable major league debut, and he showed last-place Oakland a glimpse of a promising future when it beat visiting Los Angeles. Clippard struck out two of three in the ninth for his first save as a Yankee. The 25-year-old right-hander pitched in place of injured rookie Chad Green.
Alex Wilson (2-0) gave up one hit in the 10th and Francisco Rodriguez gave up a run in the 11th before securing his 39th save. “That’s all you can ask for at this time of the season”.
NY (71-65) matched its season high of six games over.500 but remained on the periphery of contention, 3-1/2 games back for the AL’s second wild card.
The Yankees first got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on a home run by Brian McCann. Chase Headley added a two-run homer to cap the Yankees’ four-run inning against Jason Grilli.
Austin hit a solo homer in the ninth to give NY its season-high fifth straight victory, 5-4 over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night.
He has homered in five straight games, tying Harmon Killebrew and Marty Cordova for the longest streak in Twins history.
Dickey (9-14) allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings on a blustery afternoon. But it’s all about the team right now and getting wins.
“It’d be a lot more exciting if it were 7-4 instead of 7-6”, Gardner replied. They were swept for the third time this season, first since May 16-18 by Tampa Bay.
The Jays will have Thursday off before hosting a three-game set against the Boston Red Sox this weekend. He was 5-0 with a 0.55 ERA after five April starts but has struggled since and gone on the DL twice because of neck pain.
And they shut out the Blue Jays.
The Chicago White Sox blanked Detroit 2-0.
Buster Posey began the top of the ninth by hitting a grounder to shortstop Daniel Descalso, who overthrew first baseman Parra and allowed Posey to cruise into second.
Girardi was still aggressive matching up his left-handed relievers, including when Tommy Layne (2-1) entered and struck out pinch-hitter Logan Morrison to end the ninth.
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The eighth-inning unravelling undid what was a spirited comeback by the Jays, who took the lead in the top half of the eighth when Kevin Pillar, who went 3-for-4 on Tuesday, capped a two-out rally by cranking a two-run double off the wall to score the go-ahead run.
