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Bautista homers as Blue Jays edge Yankees

Apr 30, 2011 - 5:28 AM Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer and J.P. Arencibia added a solo shot, as the Toronto Blue Jays held on for a 5-3 win over the Yankees in the opener of a three-game series.

Ricky Romero (2-3) picked up the win after limiting New York to two runs on five hits and three walks in six innings. He also struck out seven.

Jon Rauch recorded a four-out save for the Blue Jays, who were coming off a four-game series victory against the Rangers.

Robinson Cano homered twice for the Yankees, but they couldn't take advantage of several bases-loaded situations and fell to 2-3 on their seven-game homestand.

Freddy Garcia (1-1) took the loss after giving up three runs in five innings.

The Yankees got on the board in the second, when Russell Martin doubled home Cano, who had walked leading off.

But Toronto moved in front in the next inning, which Yunel Escobar began with a walk. Garcia then delivered a hanging breaking ball to Bautista, who slugged it down the left field line and into the second deck for a 2-1 lead.

"Thankfully he's in our uniform," said Toronto manager John Farrell. "Whether it's an aggressive play on the basepaths, whether it's getting the right pitch in a certain situation and he drives it out of the ballpark. We've said it a number of times, he's very much a complete player."

Arencibia opened the fourth by ripping a first-pitch inside fastball to left for his fourth homer of the year.

The Yankees got the run back when Cano led off the bottom half with his seventh homer, and they had an opportunity for more in the fifth. But with the bases loaded and nobody out, Romero got Mark Teixeira to pop out to shortstop and induced a double-play grounder from Alex Rodriguez.

"He throws fastballs 95, 96 that move all over the place," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said of Romero. "He's mixing two-seamer, sinker, cutter and then he was mixing in his off-speed pitches. He pretty much kept us off-balance all night."

Toronto gained some breathing room in the sixth. David Robertson took over for Garcia, who allowed seven hits, struck out six and walked five in his five innings.

Robertson began the inning by walking Rajai Davis. After he retired Escobar, Davis stole third and Bautista walked. Robertson was nearly out of the inning after striking out Adam Lind, but his throwing error allowed Davis to score, and Juan Rivera followed with an RBI single for a 5-2 advantage.

Cano homered off Shawn Camp to begin the eighth, and New York had the bases loaded with one out later in the inning. However, Octavio Dotel struck out Jeter on a high fastball and Rauch got Nick Swisher to hit an inning-ending grounder.

Rauch retired Teixeira, Rodriguez and Cano in the ninth for his fifth save.

Game Notes

Davis was activated off the 15-day DL Friday. He had been out with an ankle injury...Toronto also optioned outfielder Travis Snider to Triple-A Las Vegas, outrighted shortstop Chris Woodward to Las Vegas, and called up first baseman David Cooper from Triple-A...Both teams left 11 on base and combined to go 1- for-18 with runners in scoring position.