Toronto pitcher Mark Buehrle reached a personal milestone last month with his 200th career victory.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was just as excited for him after his latest win on Wednesday night.
Buehrle picked up his first win over the New York Yankees since 2004 — a stretch of 12 straight losing decisions — in Toronto’s 5-1 victory at Rogers Centre.
"He got the monkey off his back tonight," Gibbons said.
Buehrle (4-2) worked five innings and allowed six hits, one earned run and a walk while striking out three. Roberto Osuna, Aaron Loup and Brett Cecil provided scoreless relief the rest of the way as Toronto improved to 14-15.
After the game, Buehrle was asked if the victory was meaningful.
"It is because I finally beat them," he said. "I guess friends and family (can) quit wearing me out, and media. But other than that, it’s another win. It’s frustrating I haven’t been able to beat them more, especially now being in their division. We play them a lot of times so that’s frustrating.
"But it’s another win and now I’ll get ready for my next start."
Russell Martin homered for Toronto and Chris Colabello had his first career four-hit game as the Blue Jays took the rubber game of the three-game series. The Yankees, who lead the American League East division standings, fell to 17-11.
Buehrle has been incredibly consistent over his long career. He has thrown at least 200 innings in each of the last 14 seasons and has made 466 starts without a stint on the disabled list.
He entered the game having lost 14-of-15 career decisions to the Yankees for a .067 winning percentage, the worst for any active pitcher against another club.
"He was just mixing it up very well," Martin said of Buehrle’s effort. "When he’s unpredictable, that’s when he’s good."
New York scored its lone run in the first inning. Alex Rodriguez doubled to move Chris Young to third base and Mark Teixeira drove him in with a grounder to the right side of the infield.
Ezequiel Carrera had a two-run single in the second inning and Martin, a Toronto native who grew up in Chelsea, Que., hit a solo shot in the sixth. He has gone deep in each of his last four starts and now has seven homers on the season.
"Right now I’m getting good counts and getting good pitches to hit," Martin said. "I know how hard this game is and right now I feel good up there."
Yankees starter CC Sabathia (0-5) was pulled with one out in the seventh inning. He allowed four earned runs, nine hits and two walks while striking out four.
The fifth straight loss matched the longest single-season losing skid of his career (2005).
"I’m just good enough to lose right now," Sabathia said.
The Blue Jays tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning when Colabello scored on a two-out triple by Ryan Goins. Toronto outhit New York 12-7.
Notes: Announced attendance was 21,312 with the roof open at Rogers Centre. The game took two hours 30 minutes to play. … The Blue Jays will get a day off Thursday before welcoming the Boston Red Sox to town for a three-game series. Right-hander Aaron Sanchez (2-2, 4.62 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday’s opener against Boston southpaw Wade Miley (1-3, 7.15). … Before the game, the Yankees put infielder Gregorio Petit on the 15-day disabled list because of a bruised right hand and activated utility man Jose Pirela from the DL. Petit was hit by a pitch on Tuesday night.
