Pinch hitter Clint Frazier drove in the go-ahead run with an eighth-inning double and the visiting New York Yankees came back to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 Tuesday night in Buffalo.
Gary Sanchez, Chris Gittens and Brett Gardner hit solo homers for the Yankees, who overcame a 5-2 deficit in the opener of a three-game series.
Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his 13th save of the season and end New York’s three-game losing streak.
Bo Bichette had a solo homer and three RBIs for Toronto. Santiago Espinal, promoted earlier Tuesday because Jonathan Davis went on paternity leave, added three hits, including a double.
Toronto starter Hyun Jin Ryu allowed three runs, five hits and four walks in six innings. He struck out three.
Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery gave up five runs (four earned) on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked four and fanned four.
The Blue Jays scored once in the first when their first three batters walked and Teoscar Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly.
Sanchez led off the second with his ninth homer of the season to tie the game 1-1.
Bichette led off the bottom of the third with his 14th homer of the year.
Gittens hit a first-pitch cutter to left for a home run and his first major league hit with two outs in the fourth. He ended an 0-for-14 drought.
Toronto scored three in the bottom of the fourth for a 5-2 edge. Joe Panik walked, Espinal singled with two outs and Gleyber Torres muffed Marcus Semien’s grounder to short. A passed ball scored one run, and Bichette’s single scored two.
New York scored once in the sixth to slice the deficit to two. Gio Urshela singled with one out, took third on a double by Sanchez and scored on Miguel Andujar’s groundout.
Gardner led off the seventh with a homer against Anthony Castro. DJ LeMehieu doubled and scored on two wild pitches to tie the game.
Jonathan Loaisiga (6-2) pitched around two singles in the bottom of the inning.
The Yankees took the lead in the eighth. Andujar led off with a single against Tim Mayza (1-1). Jordan Romano replaced Mayza, and pinch runner Tyler Wade stole second and scored on Frazier’s double.
Zack Britton survived two walks and a single in the bottom of the eighth, leaving the bases loaded.
–Field Level Media