NEW YORK — DJ LeMahieu hit a game-winning single through a five-man infield in the 10th inning to give the New York Yankees a rain-delayed 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.
Juan Soto launched a tiebreaking homer in the seventh and Gleyber Torres had two hits for the Yankees, who won for the seventh time in eight games. New York remained tied atop the AL East with Baltimore, which won 9-5 at Cleveland.
“That was a really good win,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Aaron Judge was intentionally walked three times by the last-place Blue Jays, who purposely gave him a free pass with the bases empty in the second inning Saturday.
“It’s nothing against my pitchers, our pitchers — or nothing against anyone else in their lineup,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “It’s singularly focused around how talented Aaron is and the numbers that he’s put up basically at an historic pace. So, the less times he can swing, the better.”
The previous Yankees batter to receive three intentional walks in a game was Bernie Williams against Tampa Bay in September 1999.
“It sucks. You want him at the plate,” Soto said. “To see them pass him over, it makes me mad. I don’t like that. I want them to challenge him and see what he can really do. But it is what it is. It’s part of the game and they are trying to win, too. You respect that.”
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole returned to the mound after missing his scheduled start in Philadelphia last Tuesday due to general body fatigue. The right-hander struggled during a lengthy second inning but rebounded to pitch into the sixth, retiring 10 of his last 11 batters.
“I thought he got really settled in as he went,” Boone said.
Cole allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out four without a walk. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner missed the first 75 games of the season with nerve inflammation and edema in his right elbow that had sidelined him since spring training.
“Certainly I’m in a better spot physically than I was the other day,” Cole said. “It was definitely beneficial to have a few extra days.”
Boone and Yankees hitting coach James Rowson were ejected by plate umpire Tripp Gibson in the seventh for arguing balls and strikes. It was the sixth ejection this season for Boone, most in the majors, and the 39th of his managing career. He has led the big leagues in that category each of the last four seasons.
“I was going a little bit early at Tripp,” Boone said. “Really didn’t say much other than, `That’s down.’ But he told me four innings ago, ‘That’s enough.’”
Rain halted play in the eighth for 1 hour, 49 minutes.
Trent Grisham sacrificed automatic runner Anthony Volpe to third base in the bottom of the 10th. Toronto moved an outfielder into the infield to try to keep the Yankees from scoring, but LeMahieu sent a sharp grounder up the middle against Bowden Francis (4-3) to spark a celebration.
“DJ hits a lot of groundballs. Just kind of taking your chances really and trying not to get to Soto or Judge again,” Schneider said. “He hit it on the ground, just found a hole.”
LeMahieu also had a tying sacrifice fly in a two-run sixth as New York erased a 2-0 deficit. He’s finally started to deliver some big swings lately after slumping at the plate this season following his return from a foot injury.
“I feel like I’m taking some pretty good swings and feeling much better at the plate,” LeMahieu said.
Mark Leiter Jr. (3-4) threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
Soto’s solo homer off the top of the left-center fence gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the seventh. Alejandro Kirk tied it with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled to extend his hitting streak to 17 games but was thrown out attempting to steal one batter later. Guerrero is batting .508 (32 for 63) during the streak with 19 extra-base hits.
Toronto rookie Yariel Rodríguez allowed four hits over 4 2/3 shutout innings in his 11th major league start.
Kirk and rookie Addison Barger hit consecutive doubles as Toronto sent seven batters to the plate against Cole in the second. Barger scored on a two-out single by Ernie Clement, who finished with three hits.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: OF George Springer was rested. He struck out as a pinch hitter in the 10th and stayed in the game.
Yankees: Soto came up favouring his right hand after sliding headfirst into second base on an eighth-inning double. Athletic trainers came out to check on Soto, but he remained in the game. … LF Alex Verdugo was rested.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Return home to begin a three-game series against Baltimore on Tuesday night, when RHP Chris Bassitt (8-10, 4.02 ERA) faces the Orioles for the second consecutive start. RHP Grayson Rodriguez (13-4, 3.86) pitches for Baltimore.
Yankees: Rookie RHP Luis Gil (11-5, 3.20 ERA) faces Angles RHP Davis Daniel (1-2, 4.91) on Tuesday night in the Bronx.