Gary Sanchez hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the fourth inning as the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Thursday night to salvage a split of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.
In the opener, the Yankees were held to two singles and lost 2-0 as Toronto’s Alek Manoah won his big-league debut and Domingo German allowed back-to-back homers to Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette.
In the nightcap, the Yankees rallied from an early 3-1 deficit thanks to powerful swings from Aaron Judge and Sanchez. New York avoided a third straight loss following a six-game winning streak.
Sanchez snapped a 3-3 tie when he hit a full-count slider from left-hander Robbie Ray (2-2) off an advertisement in the back of Toronto’s bullpen beyond the left-center field fence. It was his sixth homer of the season.
Sanchez’s go-ahead drive occurred an inning after Judge hit a two-run shot off Ray to tie the game. He hammered a 3-0 fastball onto the netting above Monument Park in center field. It was Judge’s 13th homer of the season.
Judge added a sacrifice fly in the fifth after Ray opened the inning by misplaying Tyler Wade’s comebacker for an error.
Gio Urshela hit an RBI double in the first inning for the Yankees, who took their first series loss in over a month. The Yankees had been 8-0-2 in their past 10 series since getting swept at home by the Tampa Bay Rays, April 16-18.
New York’s Jordan Montgomery fell an out shy of qualifying for the win. He allowed three runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Montgomery got two double plays on Jonathan Davis and left after allowing a hit to Semien. Jonathan Loaisiga (4-2) fanned Bichette to end the fifth, but he allowed three hits in the sixth and Wandy Peralta finished the inning.
Chad Green pitched a perfect seventh for his second save in three chances.
Ray allowed five runs (four earned) and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.
–Field Level Media