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Blue Jays work overtime for win in New York

Aug 28, 2012 - 5:53 AM Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Mike McCoy took advantage of an errant pick-off throw from Derek Lowe and hustled home later in the 11th inning on Adeiny Hechavarria's groundout to boost the Toronto Blue Jays to an 8-7 win over the New York Yankees to open a three-game series.

Colby Rasmus belted the go-ahead three-run homer off Rafael Soriano with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, but Derek Jeter tied it leading off the bottom half with a solo shot off Casey Janssen.

Yorvit Torrealba singled to start the 11th against Lowe (8-11). McCoy entered as a pinch-runner and went to third when Lowe's throw to first was low and skipped past Eric Chavez, who failed to get his glove down. The ball caromed down the right field line.

After Moises Sierra struck out, Hechavarria hit a dribbler toward third base. Jayson Nix charged and threw to Chavez for the second out, but the return throw home was high and late, as McCoy slid in safely to help the Blue Jays snap a season-high seven-game losing streak.

"We continued to have good at-bats for the most part tonight," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. "We had much better swings than we had been taking of late. I was just real pleased with the way guys competed all the way to the end."

Robinson Cano belted a pair of solo homers and Nick Swisher added a two-run shot, but the AL East leaders lost for the fifth time in seven contests. Their lead in the division stands at 3 1/2 games over Baltimore.

Darren Oliver (3-2) struck out three batters over the final two innings.

Soriano converted 33 of 35 save chances entering Monday's game and was one strike away from closing it out. Moises Sierra singled with one out, and with two down, Rajai Davis grounded an 0-2 pitch into left field for another base hit. Rasmus then smashed a 1-0, 85 mph slider into the second deck in right field for his 21st homer of the season.

"He's been so good all year," Jeter said of Soriano. "That home run, you have to tip your cap to them."

Jeter then launched his 14th homer of the year to the first row of seats in right field to send the game into extras, but the Blue Jays were able to snap an eight-game road skid.

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira and Blue Jays starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez departed Monday's game in the bottom of the fourth inning with injuries.

With runners on first and second base, Russell Martin hit a bouncer that caromed off the left ankle area of Alvarez. The ball rolled into right field, allowing Teixeira to hobble home for a 3-1 New York lead.

Aaron Laffey replaced Alvarez, who was charged with five hits and four runs. Alvarez was diagnosed with a bruised left shin.

Teixeira departed with a left calf strain, which he suffered after fouling off a pitch. He was replaced by Chavez, who moved from third base. Teixeira went to a local hospital for an MRI, which showed a Grade 1 strain. He's expected to miss the remainder of this series and the next one as well.

"He's been such a backbone to our lineup," Swisher said of Teixeira. "For a guy like that to be out of our lineup, that's a big deal."

David Phelps pitched into the seventh inning, but the Yankees couldn't hold the lead after coming up with five runs between the fourth and fifth frames.

Cano homered to right-center field in the opening inning, but Adam Lind countered with a long ball in the second.

Cano's blast to right field highlighted a three-run fourth inning.

After Yorvit Torrealba smacked a two-run homer in the top of the fifth, the Yankees extended their lead to 6-3 in the bottom half courtesy of Swisher's shot to left field with Jeter aboard.

Hechavarria added an RBI single in the seventh inning.

Game Notes

Earlier Monday, the Yankees acquired outfielder/first baseman Steve Pearce from the Houston Astros in exchange for cash considerations ... Laffey left the game due to an injured leg ... Cano hit his 170th and 171st career homers, passing Tony Lazeri (169) for the most homers by a Yankee who was primarily a second baseman ... Yankees righty David Robertson pitched a scoreless eighth inning after earlier Monday becoming a father for the first time with the birth of his son, Luke Joseph Robertson.