GAME THREAD: AL: NY YANKEES (83-62) at TORONTO (72-73)

AL: NY YANKEES at TORONTO

<div class="pre">** CONFIRMED **
AL
NY YANKEES 1
TORONTO 2 FINAL</div>

 

AL: NY YANKEES at TORONTO

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NY YANKEES (1) AT TORONTO (2) - HOW THEY SCORED
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TORONTO 1ST: R Johnson grounded out to pitcher. R Adams walked. A Rios
flied out to right. F Thomas doubled to deep center, R Adams scored. M Stairs
grounded out to second. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 0, TORONTO 1.

NY YANKEES 6TH: J Molina lined out to second. J Damon homered to right.
D Jeter singled to center. B Abreu walked, D Jeter to second. A Rodriguez
struck out looking. H Matsui lined out to first. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)
NY YANKEES 1, TORONTO 1.

TORONTO 9TH: C Britton relieved L Vizcaino. A Rios singled to center.
A Rios stole second. F Thomas singled to center, A Rios scored. (1 Run, 2 Hits,
0 Errors) NY YANKEES 1, TORONTO 2.</div>

 

AL: NY YANKEES at TORONTO

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NY YANKEES (1) AT TORONTO (2) - EVENT LOG
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Ny Yankees Starting Lineups -- J Damon LF, D Jeter SS, B Abreu RF, A Rodriguez 3B,
H Matsui DH, R Cano 2B, M Cabrera CF, W Betemit 1B, J Molina C, I Kennedy RHP.

Toronto Starting Lineups -- R Johnson LF, R Adams 3B, A Rios CF, F Thomas DH,
M Stairs RF, A Hill 2B, L Overbay 1B, G Zaun C, J McDonald SS, A Burnett RHP.

Umpires -- Jeff Nelson (HP), Jim Wolf (1B), Tim Tschida (2B), Jim Joyce (3B).


Gametime Weather: 66 degrees, Clear, wind out to left at 7 mph.


NY YANKEES 1ST: J Damon grounded out to second. D Jeter grounded out to
second. B Abreu struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 0,
TORONTO 0.

TORONTO 1ST: R Johnson grounded out to pitcher. R Adams walked. A Rios
flied out to right. F Thomas doubled to deep center, R Adams scored. M Stairs
grounded out to second. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 0, TORONTO 1.

NY YANKEES 2ND: A Rodriguez grounded out to shortstop. H Matsui walked.
R Cano grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, H Matsui out at
second.(0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 0, TORONTO 1.

TORONTO 2ND: A Hill struck out looking. L Overbay lined out to right.
G Zaun flied out to left. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 0, TORONTO 1.

NY YANKEES 3RD: M Cabrera lined out to center. W Betemit struck out
swinging. J Molina doubled to deep right center. J Damon lined out to third.
(0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 0, TORONTO 1.

TORONTO 3RD: J McDonald struck out looking. R Johnson popped out to third.
R Adams struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 0, TORONTO 1.

NY YANKEES 4TH: D Jeter struck out swinging. B Abreu struck out looking.
A Rodriguez singled to center. A Rodriguez stole second. H Matsui grounded out
to pitcher. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 0, TORONTO 1.

TORONTO 4TH: A Rios struck out looking. F Thomas flied out to left.
M Stairs fouled out to third. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 0, TORONTO 1.

NY YANKEES 5TH: R Cano struck out swinging. M Cabrera grounded out to
first. W Betemit struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 0,
TORONTO 1.

TORONTO 5TH: A Hill struck out swinging. L Overbay struck out swinging.
G Zaun grounded out to first. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 0, TORONTO 1.

NY YANKEES 6TH: J Molina lined out to second. J Damon homered to right.
D Jeter singled to center. B Abreu walked, D Jeter to second. A Rodriguez
struck out looking. H Matsui lined out to first. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors)
NY YANKEES 1, TORONTO 1.

TORONTO 6TH: J McDonald grounded out to shortstop. R Johnson struck out
swinging. R Adams walked. A Rios flied out to left. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)
NY YANKEES 1, TORONTO 1.

NY YANKEES 7TH: R Cano flied out to center. M Cabrera flied out to center.
W Betemit struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 1,
TORONTO 1.

TORONTO 7TH: F Thomas flied out to right. M Stairs flied out to left.
A Hill walked. L Overbay lined out to third. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)
NY YANKEES 1, TORONTO 1.

NY YANKEES 8TH: J Molina grounded out to third. J Damon grounded out to
shortstop. D Jeter grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)
NY YANKEES 1, TORONTO 1.

TORONTO 8TH: D Mientkiewicz at first base. G Zaun walked. C Thigpen ran
for G Zaun. L Vizcaino relieved I Kennedy. J McDonald sacrificed to first,
C Thigpen to second. R Johnson struck out swinging. R Adams struck out
swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 1, TORONTO 1.

NY YANKEES 9TH: V Wells in center field. A Rios in right field. M Stairs in
left field. C Thigpen catching. C Janssen relieved A Burnett. B Abreu singled
to center. A Rodriguez struck out swinging. S Downs relieved C Janssen.
H Matsui reached on infield single to pitcher, B Abreu to second. R Cano
grounded out to shortstop, B Abreu to third, H Matsui to second. M Cabrera
grounded out to first. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) NY YANKEES 1, TORONTO 1.

TORONTO 9TH: C Britton relieved L Vizcaino. A Rios singled to center.
A Rios stole second. F Thomas singled to center, A Rios scored. (1 Run, 2 Hits,
0 Errors) NY YANKEES 1, TORONTO 2.</div>

 

Thomas drives in game-winner as Blue Jays avoid sweep

<h3>TORONTO 2, NY YANKEES 1</h3>TORONTO (Ticker) -- The Toronto Blue Jays have looked lostagainst the New York Yankees for much of the past three nights,but Frank Thomas found something in his stroke on Thursday.

Thomas drove in both runs for the Blue Jays as they posted a 2-1victory over the Yankees and avoided a sweep of the three-gameseries.


Alex Rios singled leading off the ninth and came around to scorethe winning run for Toronto, which snapped a five-game losingstreak.


The Blue Jays lost the first two games of the series by acombined 13-3 score, and managed just one hit in seven-plusinnings off New York rookie starter Ian Kennedy.


Toronto had more success off hefty reliever Chris Britton (0-1),who failed to record an out in the ninth.


Rios lined a single up the middle on the first pitch he saw fromBritton and immediately stole second base to put himself intoscoring position for Thomas. It proved to be a good move asThomas drove Britton's 1-2 offering to center and watched Riosslide in safely with the winning run.


Scott Downs (3-2) was credited with the win after recording thefinal two outs in the top of the ninth for the Blue Jays.

The Yankees got another strong effort from Kennedy, whosurrendered just one run and one hit in seven-plus frames. The22-year-old righthander struck out seven and walked four in justhis third major league start.


Kennedy retired 16 straight batters at one point and has nowallowed a total of four earned runs in 19 major league innings.

The lone blemish on his line came in the opening frame. Kennedywalked No. 2 hitter Russ Adams and two batters later, Thomashit a drive to the center field wall that Melky Cabrera failedto track down, allowing Adams to come around for the 1-0 lead.

Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett matched Kennedy frame for frame,yielding five hits and one run in eight innings. The veteranrighthander struck out eight and walked two in his secondstraight eight-inning, one-run effort.


The oft-injured Burnett certainly seems healthy now, going 3-1with a 1.77 ERA in seven starts since coming off the disabledlist on August 12. Control has always been a problem for thehard-throwing righthander, but he threw 70 of his 120 pitchesfor strikes on Thursday and has issued two or fewer walks ineach of his last three outings.


New York got on the board in the third inning when Johnny Damonhit a solo homer - his 11th blast of the season.


The Yankees had a chance to take control in the top of theninth, notching a pair of hits against two Toronto relievers,but Cabrera's line drive with runners on second and third wassnared by first baseman Lyle Overbay, who flipped to Downs topreserve the tie.

 

Thomas drives in game-winner as Blue Jays avoid sweep

<h3>TORONTO 2, NY YANKEES 1</h3>TORONTO (Ticker) -- The Toronto Blue Jays have looked lostagainst the New York Yankees for much of the past three nights,but Frank Thomas found something in his stroke on Thursday.

Thomas drove in both runs for the Blue Jays as they posted a 2-1victory over the Yankees and avoided a sweep of the three-gameseries.


Alex Rios singled leading off the ninth and came around to scorethe winning run for Toronto, which snapped a five-game losingstreak.


"It's a big win, a win we really needed," Toronto manager JohnGibbons said. "We shut down a good hitting team - a team that'svery hot."


The Blue Jays lost the first two games of the series by acombined 13-3 score, and managed just one hit in seven-plusinnings off New York rookie starter Ian Kennedy.


Toronto had more success off hefty reliever Chris Britton (0-1),who failed to record an out in the ninth.


Rios lined a single up the middle on the first pitch he saw fromBritton and immediately stole second base to put himself intoscoring position for Thomas. It proved to be a good move asThomas drove Britton's 1-2 offering to center and watched Riosslide in safely with the winning run.


"It was important to get (Rios) to second base there," Thomassaid. "I was thinking (Britton) was going to throw me slidersso I was just trying to get him over. I'm happy he threw meback-to-back fastballs and I was able to hit it back up themiddle."


"I wanted to throw that last pitch off the plate, but it was alittle better than I wanted it to be," Britton said. "It's verydisappointing. Nobody likes to go out there and lose."

Scott Downs (3-2) was credited with the win after recording thefinal two outs in the top of the ninth for the Blue Jays.

The Yankees got another strong effort from Kennedy, whosurrendered just one run and one hit in seven-plus frames. The22-year-old righthander struck out seven and walked four in justhis third major league start.


"It was a good game," Kennedy said. "You pitch your (rear) offand sometimes you don't get a win - and sometimes you do lousyand end up getting a win somehow. That's just the way baseballis."


Kennedy retired 15 straight batters at one point and has nowallowed a total of four earned runs in 19 major league innings.

"Kennedy was remarkable," New York manager Joe Torre said."Absolutely remarkable. He went about his business like he hasbeen in the league for 10 years."


The lone blemish on his line came in the opening frame. Kennedywalked No. 2 hitter Russ Adams and two batters later, Thomashit a drive to the center field wall that Melky Cabrera failedto track down, allowing Adams to come around for the 1-0 lead.

Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett matched Kennedy frame for frame,yielding five hits and one run in eight innings. The veteranrighthander struck out eight and walked two in his secondstraight eight-inning, one-run effort.


"I did a good job of pounding the strike zone," Burnett said."It's just fun to go up against (the Yankees). I had a reallively fastball tonight, and when you mix in some curveballs itgives them a lot of other things to think about."


The oft-injured Burnett certainly seems healthy now, going 3-1with a 1.77 ERA in seven starts since coming off the disabledlist on August 12. Control has always been a problem for thehard-throwing righthander, but he threw 70 of his 120 pitchesfor strikes on Thursday and has issued two or fewer walks ineach of his last three outings.


New York got on the board in the third inning when Johnny Damonhit a solo homer - his 11th blast of the season.


"When I face (Burnett) I just try to battle him as much as Ican," said Damon, who had just one hit in 11 career at-batsagainst Burnett before the home run. "He's one of the best powerpitchers of our time. He's not a comfortable at-bat."

The Yankees had a chance to take control in the top of theninth, notching a pair of hits against two Toronto relievers,but Cabrera's line drive with runners on second and third wassnared by first baseman Lyle Overbay, who flipped to Downs topreserve the tie.