Bichette belts pair of homers to power Jays past Yankees as playoff pursuit intensifies | CBC Sports

New York holds the first spot and is just one game up on the Boston Red Sox, who kept their hold on the second spot with a 6-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees and Blue Jays will close out their three-game series Thursday night. Both teams have four games left to play.

Marcus Semien had the other Toronto homer as the Blue Jays took a 5-2 lead into the sixth inning behind a solid start from Jose Berrios. The Yankees scored once in the sixth and tied the game in the seventh when Kyle Higashioka hit a two-run single off reliever Tim Mayza.

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Berrios struck out the side in the first inning and the Blue Jays’ offence staked him to an early lead.

George Springer put a charge in the announced crowd of 29,601 with a leadoff double off Yankees starter Gerrit Cole and scored when Semien turned on a 97-m.p.h. fastball for his 44th homer.

The blast put Semien ahead of Davey Johnson (1973 New York Mets) for the all-time record for home runs by a second baseman in a season.

Springer helped pad the lead in the second inning as the Blue Jays pushed Cole’s pitch count to 40. With Santiago Espinal aboard after a one-out double, Springer stroked an RBI single to make it 3-0.

Bichette launched a solo shot in the third to set a franchise record for most homers by a shortstop. He moved past Tony Batista (1999) with his 27th homer of the year.

Berrios, meanwhile, was in stellar form — retiring the first 14 Yankees in order — until New York scored a pair in the fifth inning.

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Gleyber Torres reached on a double down the left-field line and scored on a Gio Urshela seeing-eye single. Brett Gardner followed with an RBI double.

Springer was given credit for a two-base hit in the bottom half of the fifth after a communication breakdown in shallow left field.

Urshela tracked the ball from his shortstop position before pulling away at the last second in front of left-fielder Joey Gallo, who could only watch it drop. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., made the Yankees pay by ending a career-long 0-for-20 drought with a double that scored Springer.

Mayza, one of Toronto’s most dependable relievers, put the first two runners in the seventh. Gallo was hit by a pitch and Torres reached on an infield single.

Urshela struck out and pinch-hitter Luke Voit fanned as well, but catcher Reese McGuire couldn’t corral a wild pitch that generated the third strike. The runners advanced and both scored when No. 9 hitter Higashioka — who entered the game with a .186 average — hit a sharp single.

Bichette greeted reliever Clay Holmes (8-4) to the game in the eighth by turning on a 1-0 sinker.

Toronto reliever Adam Cimber (3-4) recorded four key outs ahead of Romano for the win. The Blue Jays outhit the Yankees 10-7.