NEW YORK — Andrew Benintendi’s first home run as a Yankee could not have come at a better time. The left fielder, who was starting to get booed during the Bombers’ second-half slide, crushed a two-run homer into the second deck of the right-field stands to give the Yankees a 4-2 win over the Blue Jays at the Stadium.
The Yankees (74-48) snapped a three-game losing streak and won just their fifth game in their last 20. The Blue Jays (65-55) had already won the series, the sixth series loss in a row for the Yankees, by winning the first three games of the series. They also cut the Yankees lead in the American League East, which had been 15.5 games on July 8, to eight during this series. They have three more games in Toronto next month.
Benintendi, who the Yankees acquired before the trade deadline, had not hit a home run in 50 games, dating back to June 20th. After an All-Star first half with Kansas City, Benintendi went into Sunday’s game hitting .192/.302/.301 with a .604 OPS, six doubles and a triple in 22 games with the Yankees.
