TORONTO — Everything’s coming up Yankees these days. After being mowed down for five innings by Alek Manoah, the Yankees jumped on the Blue Jays bullpen and took advantage of their defense to beat Toronto, 9-1. The Yankees extended their winning streak to 11 behind a home run and two-run double by Aaron Judge at Rogers Centre Tuesday night.
The Yankees (18-6) have won 11 straight, the longest streak in the big leagues this season and the longest for the team since last season’s 13-game streak in August. They handed the Blue Jays (15-10) their first series loss of the season and also their first back-to-back losses of the season.
During the streak, Judge is hitting .357 with eight home runs, two doubles and 17 RBIs.
Judge hit his ninth homer of the season, off Manoah, in the sixth inning. It was his fifth homer in the last five games and he is now tied with teammate Anthony Rizzo for the most in the big leagues.
The Yankees, however, only took the lead after they chased Manoah.
With right-hander Adam Cimber pitching, Giancarlo Stanton reached on a Bo Bichette throwing error. The Blue Jays challenged the play and lost, losing their challenge for when they would really need it later in the inning.
Stanton scored when Josh Donaldson’s line drive got past left fielder Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. Marwin Gonzalez, making his first start in left field this year, doubled in Donaldson for an insurance run.
Gonzalez scored on a bizarre rundown in which he deked Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and ended up scoring on Jose Trevino’s fielder’s choice. Guerrero argued vehemently that he had tagged Gonzalez and replays showed he did, but the Blue Jays had no challenges left.
It unraveled from there for the Blue Jays.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who had singled, advanced to second and third as Gonzalez was avoiding tags. Kiner-Falefa scored on Aaron Hicks’ single. Judge then knocked in two more with a double.
Stanton padded it in the top of the ninth with his fifth home run of the season, a two-run, 444-foot shot to the second deck in left field.
That came after they were frustrated by Manoah for six innings.
“He’s a really good pitcher and as you know, came up to the big leagues last year and had a lot of success,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He does a good job moving his fastball around. Has the ability to two-seam it, but also ride it up in the zone with a four seam and then he works a slider off of that. He’s got a change-up that he uses a little bit. He’s tough. He stays off the barrel a lot.”
Manoah came into the game having allowed three earned runs in three starts versus the Yankees, with the Blue Jays winning each of his starts.
He had another one Tuesday night.
Manoah held the Yankeees to one run on three hits. He walked one and struck out seven over six innings pitched.
After giving up a single to Rizzo in the first, Manoah retired 15 straight Yankees until Hicks singled off him with one out in the sixth. With the Yankees desperate to scratch across a run against Manoah, Hicks was thrown out trying to steal second. Judge then hammered his 427-foot home run.
That tied the game, 1-1.
Alejandro Kirk doubled with one out in the fifth and George Springer reached on catcher’s interference. Bichette jumped on a slider that Jameson Taillon hung for a ground-ball single to left field. Kirk, who has been described as being built like a fire hydrant, scored from second. Gonzalez made the throw in time, but it was off line. Donaldson cut it off to hold the runners at first and second and dropped it before he could try to throw home.
