Gleyber Torres sent the Yankees to England in style, with a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth, as they outlasted the Blue Jays, 8-7, Wednesday in The Bronx.
Torres’ heroics finished up a 9-1 homestand, as they won for the 11th time in 12 games overall.
The Yankees seemed to be closing in on another victory to finish off a dominant homestand in the top of the ninth, but with Aroldis Chapman unavailable after pitching on consecutive days, Aaron Boone went to Zack Britton to protect a one-run lead in the ninth and the lefty crumbled.
He allowed a leadoff single to Danny Jansen and pinch-runner Billy McKinney moved to second on a passed ball by Sanchez. He scored on Cavan Biggio’s single through the left side of the infield left vacant by the shift.
An error by Torres on what should have been a force-out gave Toronto two on with no one out before Britton got Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to ground into a double play. Biggio moved to third, but Britton got Randal Grichuk to ground to second.
In the bottom of the inning, Didi Gregorius reached on a squib single and moved to second on a walk by Aaron Hicks against Nick Kingham, and Torres finished the job with a single to right that drive in Gregorius.
Before the game, Boone was confident his team wouldn’t look ahead at the upcoming weekend series against the Red Sox in London.
“There’s always a focus on today,’’ Boone said. “We have a chance to finish off a great homestand.”
They did — but no thanks to James Paxton, who along with fellow lefty free agent signing J.A. Happ, continues to struggle in The Bronx.
Paxton was coming off two good starts against the White Sox and Astros, but he struggled against the Blue Jays earlier this month and was brutal again on Wednesday.
He walked the first two batters he faced before Gurriel homered to left-center to give Toronto a 3-0 lead just three batters into the game. Paxton struck out the next three, but the Yankees were already in a deep hole.
And it only got worse in the top of the second, as ex-Yankee Brandon Drury singled to left with one out before Jansen hit a two-run shot to left to make it 5-0.
Paxton at least prevented more damage after Biggio singled and moved to third on a double by Gurriel. Grichuk hit a soft comebacker that Paxton handled to end the inning.
Gregorius extended the Yankees’ record home run streak to 29 games with a solo blast with one out in the second to make it 5-1.
Hicks followed with a walk and moved to third on a single to left by Torres. Brett Gardner whiffed for the second out and DJ LeMahieu walked to load the bases for Aaron Judge.
Judge came through with a base hit to center, scoring Hicks and Torres to cut the Yankees’ deficit to 5-3.
Paxton settled down in the third and the Yankees tied it in the fourth.
Torres led off with a single and LeMahieu hit a two-run shot to right-center to make it 5-5 and knocked right-hander Trent Thornton out of the game.
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It continued an extraordinary run of success for LeMahieu, who entered the game having reached base 15 times in his previous 20 plate appearances.
Thornton was coming off two good outings in Houston and Boston, but allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings and needed 88 pitches just to get that far.
Paxton, though, allowed the Blue Jays to go ahead again in the fifth, when Gurriel homered for a second time, this one into the visiting bullpen in left-center. Gurriel entered the game hitless in five previous at-bats against Paxton, with a walk and two strikeouts, but had three extra-base hits versus Paxton on Wednesday.
Boone finally pulled Paxton. It was the second time in four outings Paxton gave up six runs and he reached season-highs in homers (three) and walks (four) in just 4 1/3 innings.
The left-hander was replaced by David Hale, who picked off Grichuk at first for the second out and then retired Teoscar Hernandez.
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The Yankees threatened again in the fifth against Sam Gaviglio with a one-out hustle double by Encarnacion and a single by Gregorius. Encarnacion scored on a sacrifice fly by Hicks to knot the game again.
Luke Voit gave the Yankees their first lead in the sixth to finish off a two-out rally by driving in Judge with a hit to left-center.
Adam Ottavino, pitching for the fourth time in five days, struck out three of the four batters he faced in a scoreless seventh.
Stephen Tarpley, in his second appearance in as many days since being recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take the struggling Jonathan Holder’s place, pitched another shutout frame.
The Yankees had first and third with one out in the eighth, but Sanchez whiffed and Voit popped out, which hurt the Yankees in the ninth.
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