Blue Jays continue closing gap on playoff spot with another win over Yankees

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 41st home run and the streaking Toronto Blue Jays knocked the slumping Yankees out of the AL's top wild-card spot, beating New York 6-3 Wednesday night.

The Yankees have lost five straight and nine of 11 since winning 13 in a row. This latest defeat dropped them a half-game behind Boston for the first wild-card slot.

Teoscar Hernandez hit a go-ahead single in the seventh inning and Guerrero connected off Aroldis Chapman to begin the ninth as the Blue Jays won their seventh in a row. Toronto moved within 1 1/2 games of the Yankees.

Guerrero padded Toronto's lead when he hammered a fastball several rows back in the left field seats. He is three shy of Hall of Fame father Vladimir Sr.'s career high set in 2000 for the Montreal Expos.

"He's a stud man," Blue Jays rookie starter Alek Manoah said. "Just everything he's doing for our team and the way he's been able to battle even through some down stretches throughout the year, he's finding ways to stay together and keep the team together and keep some positivity."

"So it's not only the bat that he brings to the plate. It's his attitude in the locker room, his positive attitude in the dugout, it just brings a lot of life to our team," he said.

Guerrero reached three times a night after his career-high 14-game hitting streak ended. Toronto won for the 10th time in 11 games. He leads the AL with a .320 batting average and his average has been above .300 after all but one game this season.

Marcus Semien hit a two-run single during a three-run fourth. He scored the go-ahead run on Hernandez's hit off Clay Holmes (6-3), which came shortly before Boston secured a 2-1 win over AL East-leading Tampa Bay.

Jake Lamb added a sacrifice fly in the eighth on a night in which Toronto set a season high with 11 walks, including a 13-pitch free pass by Hernandez in the fifth. It was Toronto's most walks since also getting 11 at Texas on Aug. 26, 2015.

"The whole is team is doing a great job, pitching, defence and our lineup has been outstanding," Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said. "Our lineup is hot."

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Larry Walker becomes 2nd Canadian inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame

3 years ago

Duration 1:58

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Brett Gardner hit a tying, three-run homer in the fifth. It was New York's first extra-base hit since Gary Sanchez's two-run homer in the sixth inning of Sunday's 8-7 loss to Baltimore.

"We know we have the guys capable but we got to get it done," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "It's a little bit of a broken record this week, I understand that, but this is the group that we absolutely believe in and we got to get thing turned around and [I] believe we will, but it's certainly been a frustrating several days for us on the offensive side."

Manoah allowed three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings in his second career start at Yankee Stadium. His first start in New York was May 27 in his major league debut when he allowed two hits in six innings in the opener of a doubleheader.

"These games mean a lot more than my debut, so I'll just continue to go out there and give it my all," Manoah said. "It doesn't matter what day it is.

Trevor Richards (6-2), who pitched for Tampa Bay and Milwaukee before joining Toronto, tossed 1 2/3 innings for the win.

Adam Cimber fanned Anthony Rizzo with two on to end the seventh to preserve a 4-3 lead and tossed a scoreless eighth. Jordan Romano worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 16th save in 17 chances.

Rookie Luis Gil returned to New York's rotation and allowed the first three runs of his career and one hit in 3 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked seven.

The 23-year-old righty made his major league debut last month and had not permitted a run in 15 2/3 innings over three starts until facing the surging Blue Jays.