Yankees beat Jays; magic number at three

Team Infidel

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http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/news_story/?ID=177999&hubname=mlb



TORONTO (CP) - A ninth straight American League East title for the New York Yankees has seemed inevitable since August and they moved another step closer to making it a reality Monday night.

The Bronx Bombers cut their magic number down to three with a gripping 7-6 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, led by Derek Jeter's go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning off a previously dominant A.J. Burnett.
There was drama aplenty in the final inning as the Yankees pushed their lead to 7-3 in the top half before four shaky relievers nearly squandered it in the bottom half.
But by the time all was said and done, a four-game winning streak for the Blue Jays (79-71) was over and they were prevented from matching their win total from 2005 before a crowd of 32,846. Another loss to the Yankees will officially eliminate them from the division race.
"Jeter got the big hit again, like he always does," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. "He always seems to when it means something, and it's that time of year. That's why he's got a chance to be the MVP."

On Wednesday New York (91-59) could potentially clinch the division crown that has seemed like a foregone conclusion since a five-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park last month.
The Blue Jays, who hoped for a post-season celebration of their own this season, don't want to see the Yankees do it on their turf.
"We're definitely going to do our best the next couple of days to stop that from happening," said outfielder Reed Johnson, who had two RBIs. "If they clinch it now or clinch it four days from now, they have the confidence that it's just a matter of time."
The Blue Jays looked set to push the party back behind Burnett (8-8), who mowed through a weary Yankees team that was coming off doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday versus the Red Sox. The Bronx Bombers were nowhere near their usual pitch-eating selves early on as Burnett routinely hit 98 m.p.h. on the radar.
He retired 12 in a row from the second to the sixth inning, when he ran into trouble after a two-out single by Bobby Abreu. Alex Rodriguez followed with his 463rd career homer, putting him 29th all-time and cutting Toronto's lead to 3-2.
The next inning Jeter tagged a two-out, 3-0 offering over the wall in left-centre to put the Yankees ahead 4-3. Aaron Guiel of Langley, B.C., who took over in centre after Johnny Damon was ejected in the fifth, extended the inning with a bloop double.
"Two mistakes all night, it got away" lamented Burnett. "They did what they're supposed to do with it."
Burnett lasted seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out 10.
"He was pretty much dominating us as much as we've been dominated all year," said Rodriguez.
The Yankees seemed to break it open with three in the ninth on Bernie Williams' run-scoring fielder's choice, Bobby Abreu's RBI single and Andy Phillips' bases-loaded walk.
But relievers Ron Villone, Octavio Dotel and Mike Myers struggled to close it out, with Troy Glaus hitting a three-run homer that made it 7-6 for his first RBIs since Aug. 26.
Jose Veras got the final out for his first save. Closer Mariano Rivera is injured.
"There's only one Mo," said Jeter. "You get spoiled with him pitching the end of the game."
Darrell Rasner (3-0), making his second big-league start, earned the victory with six shaky innings in which he was fortunate to have only allowed three runs.
He gave up Johnson's RBI groundout in the second plus a John McDonald run-scoring triple and Johnson RBI double in fourth, but was in trouble every inning.
His best escape act came in the first, when the Blue Jays loaded the bases with no outs and came up empty.
Lyle Overbay, who has just three RBIs in September, and Glaus both popped out weakly before Bengie Molina struck out to end the inning.
The Blue Jays finished 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
"That was the difference in the ballgame losing by a run," said Johnson.
First-base umpire Eric Cooper ended up with a bloody lip in the eighth after a collision with Rodriguez as he charged up the line on an infield single. Cooper was fine and continued on while wiping his lip.
 
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