Recap: NY Yankees vs. Toronto
Sports Network | August 31, 2008
Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Roy Halladay continued his domination of the Yankees by hurling seven strong innings as Toronto bested New York, 6-2, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium. Halladay (17-9) allowed just two runs on eight hits to win his fourth straight start for the Blue Jays, who won their second straight game after dropping the previous three. Meanwhile, the 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner bested the Yankees for the fourth time in five tries this season. Scott Rolen had a solo home run for Toronto and Rod Barajas added a two-run double. Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi each had a solo homer for the reeling Yankees, who lost for the fourth time in six games and fell 7 1/2 games behind Boston in the AL wild card race. The fading Andy Pettitte (13-11) was touched for six runs on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings en route to the loss. Pettitte is now just 1-4 over his last seven starts. The Blue Jays jumped all over Pettitte in the first. Marco Scutaro walked to leadoff the game and quickly advanced into scoring position when David Eckstein laid down a sacrifice bunt. Consecutive singles by Alex Rios and Vernon Wells made it a 1-0 game before Xavier Nady badly misjudged a Barajas fly ball in left, turning it into a two-run double. Rolen led off the second by lining his eighth home run of the year over the wall in left to give the Blue Jays a 4-0 advantage. The Yankees finally got to Halladay in the fourth when Rodriguez blasted his 29th homer of the year to leadoff the frame. Giambi then lined his 28th home run of the season just over the wall in right in the sixth to draw the Yankees within 4-2. The Jays bounced back with a pair of runs in the seventh. John McDonald started things with a one out single to right, moved to third on Scutaro's double and crossed the plate on Eckstein's run-scoring single to left. The Yankees pulled the plug on Pettitte at that point and went to the struggling Jose Veras, who promptly uncorked a wild pitch, enabling Scutaro to score and make it a 6-2 game. Game Notes Rodriguez now has 547 career homers, one behind Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt for 12th on the all-time list...Alfredo Aceves of Mexico made his major league debut for the Yankees, throwing two perfect innings and striking out three...Toronto now leads the season series 8-7...After the game, the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Eckstein in exchange for minor league pitcher Chad Beck. Game Notes Rodriguez now has 547 career homers, one behind Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt for 12th on the all-time list...Alfredo Aceves of Mexico made his major league debut for the Yankees, throwing two perfect innings and striking out three...Toronto now leads the season series 8-7...After the game, the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Eckstein in exchange for minor league pitcher Chad Beck.
