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Cano lifts Yankees past Blue Jays in 11

Aug 12, 2009 - 11:27 PM By JAY COHEN AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK(AP) -- Alex Rodriguez lost feeling in his left hand when he was hit by a pitch in the 11th inning. Jorge Posada was so banged up that he compared the game to a boxing match. Derek Jeter's bruised right foot felt so bad he actually acknowledged the injury.

This was one frightening victory for the New York Yankees.

Robinson Cano drove in Rodriguez with a game-ending RBI single, and the Yankees capped a successful homestand with a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Rodriguez and Jeter both had X-rays that were negative, and Posada's right hand was swollen after a particularly brutal foul ball in the eighth inning. A-Rod was already scheduled for a day off, but Jeter and Posada also might rest when New York opens a 10-game trip at Seattle on Thursday night.

"I'm glad that we got it done then because if Alex couldn't play I heard (backup catcher Jose) Molina was going to go to third base, something like that," Posada said. "He was the only guy available on the bench."

Closer Mariano Rivera also was held out after manager Joe Girardi said the right-hander's arm was cranky when he showed up to the ballpark. Rivera allowed one run and two hits before finishing for the save in Tuesday night's 7-5 victory.

"We weren't going to use him today," Girardi said. "I'd be shocked if he's not ready tomorrow."

Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said Rivera was going to meet the team in Seattle. When asked why he wasn't traveling with the club, Zillo would only say the reason was "non-medical."

Rodriguez got the winning rally started when he was hit by Shawn Camp (1-6) with one out. He stayed down for a short period after he was struck on his left elbow, but remained in the game after visiting with Girardi and a trainer.

"Hopefully back on board on Friday," the slugger said.

Rodriguez moved up on Posada's single and scored when Cano lined Camp's first pitch into the gap in right-center, leading to another postgame whipped cream pie for the second baseman from starter A.J. Burnett.

"That's not feeling good but it's great," Cano said of Burnett's celebratory gesture.

Cano also homered for New York (71-43), which has won nine of 10 to move a season-best 28 games over .500. Chad Gaudin (1-0) worked two scoreless innings to win his Yankees debut.

Local product Randy Ruiz homered for the second straight day for the Blue Jays, who finished with 14 hits. The Bronx native and former Yankees farmhand was promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday and hit a solo shot in Toronto's 7-5 loss that night - his first major league game in his hometown.

Blue Jays rookie Ricky Romero pitched six solid innings, allowing three runs and four hits. The left-hander has lasted at least six innings in each of his last four starts.

"You look around the clubhouse and every one of us left it out there today," he said. "It's just very disappointing when you come out with a loss."

Romero hit Jeter on the foot in the first inning, sending the All-Star shortstop staggering away from the plate. Jeter provided his usual "I'll be fine" after the game but acknowledged it was a painful at-bat.

"I was hoping it'd be all right," he said. "I mean, it always hurts when you get hit. You just hope that it wears off after a while."

Ramiro Pena replaced him before Toronto batted in the third and made a terrific diving catch to take a hit away from Edwin Encarnacion in the fourth.

The AL East-leading Yankees wrapped up a 6-1 stretch at their new ballpark and improved their major league-best home mark to 41-18. They went 48-33 during their final season at the old Yankee Stadium last year.

New York started the homestand with a four-game sweep against second-place Boston and lost the opener of its series against Toronto before winning the last two.

"They have some good hitters over there," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "It doesn't matter who's up there sometimes, somebody is going to come up with a big hit. That's the way you win championships. That's the way you win the World Series."

Burnett worked six innings against his former team, allowing three runs despite surrendering 10 hits and uncorking three wild pitches.

Johnny Damon led off the third with his 22nd homer and fifth in the last nine games, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Toronto pushed across two runs in the sixth to tie it at three, taking advantage of Burnett's wildness. Ruiz and Encarnacion singled with one out and moved up on a wild pitch, and Raul Chavez followed with a bloop RBI single to right.

After Joe Inglett struck out, Encarnacion scampered home with the tying run after another Burnett pitch got away from Posada.

NOTES: Toronto optioned RHP Jeremy Accardo to Triple-A and will make a roster move before Friday's game at Tampa Bay. ... Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira was out of the starting lineup. He popped up as a pinch hitter in the 10th and stayed in to play first.