NEW YORK (AP) — Upset after Aaron Judge was hit by a pitch from Alek Manoah, the frustrated New York Yankees hit back with their bats.
Andrew Benintendi launched a two-run tie homer in the seventh inning and the Yankees clinched a win they badly needed, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Sunday to avoid a four-game sweep.
On the day the Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was booed while the team retired No. 21 former star Paul O’Neill, the AL East league leader won for the 10th time in 30 games since the All-Star -Break. They lead the division by eight games over Toronto.
“No secret what we’re going through,” said manager Aaron Boone. “It was a big blow in an important game.”
On Saturday, frustration in New York peaked with Gerrit Cole hitting the dugout roof twice and Boone slamming his hand on the podium during a post-game press conference.
On Sunday, the Yankees’ only concerns were with Manoah.
After throwing near Judge early in the game, the Toronto starter hit him in the fifth with a sinker in the arm guard above the left elbow. The judge shot Manoah a look as Cole started screaming and a few other Yankees came over the dugout railing.
Cole was intercepted by bench coach Carlos Mendoza before reaching the umpires.
“I think next time Gerrit wants to do something, he can walk past the Audi sign,” Manoah said, referring to the advertisement posted on the turf between the Yankees dugout and the first baseline.
Judge, who is 1-16 with six strikeouts against Manoah, didn’t believe the plunking was intentional.
“It was the heat of the moment,” said the major league leading home run leader. “No one likes to be hit”
Amidst the excitement, Judge and Manoah, who were teammates in last month’s All-Star Game, showed up to diplomatically discuss the field.
“I made a pitch, obviously Judge hit it,” Manoah said. “Obviously I looked at him and said, ‘Man, I’m not trying.’ I think he understood that.”
Manoah said hitting Judge was unintentional and more a result of his efforts to command the sinker in recent starts.
“It was just a duster too many for my taste,” said Cole.
The Yankees came back quickly after Wandy Peralta found Jackie Bradley Jr., the ninth-place hitter, on foot to force the tie at the top of seventh-place.
Jose Trevino defeated third baseman Matt Chapman’s off-balance throw for an infield hit and was sacrificed in second place. Benintendi hit a long foulball and then sent a slider from Adam Cimber (9-5) into the second deck in right field.
Benintendi, who also doubled, hit his fourth homer of the season. It was his first home run since June 20, more than a month before Kansas City sold him to New York.
“That was a big time,” said Judge.
Benintendi’s ride also came on a day when he struggled to put Alejandro Kirk’s two-run two into left field on Saturday in Toronto’s four-run fifth.
“The start wasn’t great for him personally, much worse than I wanted of course,” said Benintendi, who is beating .211 with New York after beating .320 with Kansas City.
Anthony Rizzo caught a throwing error from Toronto left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the first goal. and DJ LeMahieu hit a green RBI single in the fourth.
Whit Merrifield hit a bizarre home run in Toronto’s fourth goal with a ball that bounced the fence twice before going over the goal. The Blue Jays had won four times in a row.
Lou Trivino (2-7) had the last seven outs.
New York starter Nestor Cortes allowed one run and three hits in six innings. He dropped five.
Manoah allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits in six innings.
Good deeds are rewarded
Mike Lanzillotta, the Blue Jays fan who caught Judge’s May 3 homer in Toronto and passed it to 9-year-old Derek Rodriguez, watched the game from the Judge’s Chambers in right field.
TRAINING ROOM
Blue Jays: OF/DH George Springer did not start for the third game in a row after fouling a ball off his knee while playing 5 for 5 on Thursday. He was a pinch hitter in the seventh…LHP Tim Mayza (dislocated right shoulder) threw 10 pitches in his first rehab appearance for Triple-A Buffalo Friday.
Yankees: OF/DH Giancarlo Stanton (left Achilles tendonitis) went 0-3 as the DH in his first rehab game for Double-A Somerset on Saturday night and was expected to get three to five at-bats on Sunday. Stanton will be training in New York Monday afternoon and will face RHP Luis Severino (right lat load) in live batting practice Tuesday, but he’s unlikely to play in the Subway Series. … RHP Clay Holmes (back) threw 10 pitches in a bullpen session a day after playing catch for the first time since IL Wednesday. … LHP Zack Britton (left elbow) threw 18 pitches in a bullpen session Saturday at the team’s Florida spring training complex. … RHP Albert Abreu (right elbow inflammation) was placed on the IL and RHP Luke Bard had bought his contract from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. … LHP Scott Efross (shoulder stiffness) was unavailable.
NEXT
Blue Jays: Open a three-game series in Boston on Tuesday.
Yankees: RHP Domingo Germán (1-2, 4.45) opens Monday night’s Subway Series at home to Mets RHP Max Scherzer (9-2, 2.15), who is seeking his 200th career win.
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