Austin Wells hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning and the visiting New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Tuesday night.
Gleyber Torres led off the ninth with a single against Toronto closer Jordan Romano (5-7) in the opener of a three-game series.
Wells was the next batter, and he drove a first-pitch fastball to left center for his third home run of the season.
Clay Holmes pitched around a single in the bottom of the ninth to earn his 23rd save of the season.
The Blue Jays (87-70) have a 1 1/2-game lead on the Astros (86-72) in the race for the second American League wild card after Houston lost 6-2 at Seattle later Tuesday. The Mariners (85-72) are a half-game behind the Astros, who occupy the third and final AL wild-card spot.
The Yankees (80-77) were officially eliminated from the playoff race over the weekend.
Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman allowed three hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven shutout innings.
Yankees right-hander Michael King gave up one hit and five walks while striking out five in six shutout innings.
King worked around a single and two walks in the third, retiring Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a called third strike to leave the bases loaded after starting with a 3-0 count.
Gausman walked two batters in the first inning, then retired 13 in a row before Estevan Florial led off the sixth with a single to center. DJ LeMahieu followed by grounding into a double play.
Giancarlo Stanton doubled for the Yankees with one out in the seventh. Stanton took third on a single to right by Isiah Kiner-Falefa. After Kiner-Falefa stole second, Stanton was cut down at home on Oswaldo Cabrera’s grounder to shortstop Bo Bichette, who bounced his throw to the plate. The inning ended on Oswald Peraza’s flyout to right.
Jhony Brito (9-7) replaced King and walked Daulton Varsho with one out in the seventh. With two outs, Varsho stole second and continued to third on catcher Wells’ throwing error. The inning ended when Kevin Kiermaier grounded out.
The Blue Jays did not get their second hit until Bichette singled with one out in the eighth against Brito. Guerrero grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Right fielder Aaron Judge and shortstop Anthony Volpe were not in the starting lineup for the Yankees.
Toronto reinstated first baseman Brandon Belt (lumbar spine muscle spasms) from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, and he went 0-for-3 with a walk as the designated hitter.
–Field Level Media
