BLUE JAYS 3, YANKEES 2
TORONTO ? The Yankees botched multiple scoring opportunities in a 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays Saturday afternoon and also missed a chance to put themselves in position to clinch at least a playoff spot.
A victory and an Angels loss later Saturday would've guaranteed the Yanks entry into the postseason. Instead, the Yanks really only have themselves to blame for losing to the hapless Jays and losing a half-game of their division lead, pending the result of Baltimore's night game against Boston.
With the Orioles hosting the Red Sox at Camden Yards, the Yanks held only a half-game lead in the American League East race. Their magic number to clinch the division title is five, depending on what happens to the O's.
But if the Yanks continue to play the way they did Saturday, their foray into serious October baseball likely will be brief. Andy Pettitte (5-4) was OK, allowing three runs and five hits in 5-2/3 innings, but he didn't hold a 2-0 lead and the offense couldn't add anything.
Joba Chamberlain, who came in for Pettitte with two out in the sixth, gave up a tie-breaking RBI double to Adeiny Hechevarria.
The Yankees had ample opportunities to score, putting the leadoff man on in each of the first five innings. They loaded the bases with no out in the first inning and scored on sac flies by Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson for a 2-0 lead, but they had trouble doing much damage afterward.
In the third, they loaded the bases with no out again, but Granderson popped up, Andruw Jones struck out and Adeiny Hechavarria made a terrific grab on Eduardo Nunez's hard liner toward second.
They had the leadoff man on again in the seventh when Ichiro Suzuki singled, but he was caught stealing. In the eighth, Raul Ibanez reached on an error with one out and pinch-runner Brett Gardner was thrown out stealing, though replays indicated Gardner was safe.
Pettitte, meanwhile, showed that he's ready to at least offer some distance in the postseason, even if he wasn't that sharp. He threw 94 pitches, 56 for strikes.
He gave up a homer to Rajai Davis in the first inning, the first run against him since he returned from the disabled list.
The Jays tied the score at 2 in the fifth inning when Jeff Mathis led off with a double off Pettitte and scored on Davis' two-out infield single. Davis topped the ball down the third base line and Alex Rodriguez fielded it even though it likely would've gone foul and Davis beat the throw to first as Mathis came home.
In the sixth, Pettitte walked Yunel Escobar leading off and then Yan Gomes got a single when Cano didn't cover first base in time after Nick Swisher fielded Gomes' bunt. Pettitte retired the next two hitters, getting Mathis on a brilliant running catch in center by Granderson, and then came out of the game.
Hechevarria hit a long drive to right field off Joba Chamberlain for a double. Escobar scored easily for a 3-2 Toronto lead, but Gomes took a big turn around third and was thrown out trying to go back to the bag. The Jays had trouble on the basepaths all day.
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