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Yankees down Jays, maintain one-game lead in AL East

Sep 29, 2012 - 4:59 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Russell Martin blasted a three-run homer and the New York Yankees kept their slim lead in the AL East with a 11-4 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Nick Swisher stroked a two-run double in the opening frame and Eric Chavez book-ended the victory with a two-run home run in the ninth inning.

The Yankees maintained a one-game edge on the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the division. The Orioles fired a one-hitter in a 9-1 home win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday.

Hiroki Kuroda (15-11) labored through 5 1/3 innings by giving up a season-high tying 10 hits along with two runs.

"Our defense kind of picked him up a little bit the first two innings," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "You look up, they have three doubles, five hits total, a walk and don't score a run in two innings."

Chad Jenkins (0-3) remained without a victory after 12 major league appearances. In his second start, the right-hander gave up four hits and three runs over 3 2/3 innings.

Rajai Davis went 4-for-4 for the Blue Jays, who failed to build on a 6-0 win in the opener of this four-game series. Colby Rasmus and Adam Lind homered in the defeat.

Swisher doubled to the gap in right-center field in the opening inning and Raul Ibanez scored on Derek Jeter's double-play groundout in the second for a 3-0 margin.

Rasmus struck out to leave the bases full to conclude the second, but then homered to right-center to leadoff the bottom of the fifth. In the second, Yunel Escobar was picked off third base.

The Yankees expanded their lead to 7-1 in the sixth. Robinson Cano was hit by a pitch and Swisher singled to left field. Despite striking out the next two batters, Brett Cecil was removed from the game in favor of Jason Frasor. Martin took a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left field, and Ichiro Suzuki singled in a run later in the inning.

Kelly Johnson scored on a fielder's choice grounder from Anthony Gose in the bottom of the sixth, but the Yankees got that run back on an RBI from Ibanez in the seventh.

Lind socked a two-run homer off David Phelps in the seventh before Cano singled in Suzuki in the eighth. Chavez went deep with Chris Dickerson aboard in the ninth.

Game Notes

Cano is 10-for-14 over his last four games ... Jeter has reached base safely in 29 straight games, the longest such streak by a Yankee this season ... The Blue Jays fell to 37-39 at home. They haven't had a losing season at Rogers Centre since 2004 (40-41).