Ibanez Slam Lifts Yankees Over Blue Jays

The Yankees (55-34) started a three game series with the Toronto Blue Jays (45-45) on Monday night, the first of 16 games these two teams will play the remainder of the season and the Yankees came out on top 6-3. Phil Hughes pitched great in his outing going seven innings giving up two runs on four hits and striking out four along the way.

The Yankees got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning when Russell Martin lifted an opposite field solo home run off of Blue Jays starter Henderson Alvarez. It was Martin’s ninth home run of the season.

In the third inning following an Alex Rodriguez double Robinson Cano drilled a double to right field scoring A-Rod and making the score 2-0. The double extended Cano’s hitting streak to 19 straight games, a career high for Cano.

The Blue Jays would fight back with a run in the fourth and a run in the sixth to tie up the game. Adam Lind homered off of Hughes in the fourth, it was Lind’s eighth home run of the season and in the sixth Edwin Encarnacion drilled a RBI double in the left center field tying up game.

In the bottom of the eighth inning Blue Jays reliever Aaron Loup let A-Rod reach on a walk and Robinson Cano reach on an infield single before being relieved for Jayson Frasor. Frasor was no better; he hit Mark Teixeira loading the bases and eventually surrendered a grand slam home run on a 3-1 pitch to Raul Ibanez putting the Yanks on top 6-2. It was Ibanez 12^th home run of the season.

Aaron Loup got the loss for the Jays (0-1). David Robertson (1-3) was the winner for the Yankees and Rafael Soriano picked up his 23^rd save of the season.

Blue Jays superstar slugger Jose Bautista left the game in the top of the eighth inning after fouling a pitch off with what appeared to be a left wrist injury.

The Yankees will host the Blue Jays again on Tuesday night. Brett Cecil (2-1 6.75) gets the start for the Blue Jays while C.C. Sabathia (9-3 3.45) will go for the Yankees. Pregame coverage begins at 6:30, first pitch at 7:05 right here on 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio.