Blue Jays 9, Yankees 5, 11 innings
NEW YORK - Pinch hitter Russell Martin drew one of three bases-loaded walks in the top of the 11th inning as the Toronto Blue Jays outlasted the New York Yankees on Saturday for a 9-5 victory in Game 1 of a doubleheader.
After hitting two home runs and driving in four runs Friday, Martin came up with the bases loaded against left-hander Chasen Shreve, whom he homered off of in the previous night. With the Yankees playing the infield in, Martin did not even swing and drove in his fifth run of the series when he saw four pitches out of the strike zone.
Ahead of Martin's pinch hitting appearance, the Blue Jays loaded the bases when Bryan Mitchell (0-2) issued walks to designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion and first baseman Chris Colabello while hitting second baseman Cliff Pennington with a pitch.
After Martin's walk, the Blue Jays added an insurance run on left fielder Ben Revere's single and another run on a walk to third baseman Josh Donaldson, who heard MVP chants from the contingent of Toronto fans in the crowd. The inning continued when Bautista drew another walk as Yankees fans booed Shreve and then finally ended when pinch hitter Justin Smoak grounded out.
Earlier, Toronto rallied from a 4-1 deficit with home runs from Bautista, Revere and Encarnacion.
After tying the game on Bautista's second home run of the game, a drive to center field off Dellin Betances to start the eighth, the Blue Jays lost the lead when Brett Cecil allowed a game-tying single to catcher Brian McCann in the eighth.
The Yankees left the bases loaded in the eighth and stranded pinch runner Rico Noel in scoring position in the 10th. Noel was stranded when Liam Hendriks retired pinch hitter Dustin Ackley to end the 10th.
Hendriks (5-0) pitched a scoreless 10th but gave up two hits to start the 11th. Ryan Tepera notched his first save and the Blue Jays (81-60) moved a season-high 3 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees, whom they have now defeated in 10 of 14 meetings.
The game took four hours, 32 minutes to complete as both teams used their bullpens and benches extensively. Toronto used five reserves and seven relievers while the Yankees employed four reserves and six relievers.
Before blowing the lead and squandering late scoring chances, the Yankees built a 4-1 lead on solo home runs by left fielder Brett Gardner and third baseman Chase Headley ahead of a two-run home run by designated hitter Alex Rodriguez.
Both starting pitchers produced identical lines of four earned runs and six hits allowed. Marco Estrada lasted five-plus innings while Pineda went 5 1/3 innings.
Before its latest win, Toronto lost shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in the second inning. Tulowitzki was injured when he collided with center fielder Kevin Pillar while catching a pop-up by New York shortstop Didi Gregorius.
The Blue Jays said Tulowitzki underwent X-rays on his ribs and chest and those were negative. They also said he was undergoing an MRI but the results would not be available until Sunday.
NOTES: Toronto manager John Gibbons said every reliever is available for both games but hoped to avoid using LHP Brett Cecil in Game 1. ... Since Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre's season ended Friday in the playoffs, the Yankees added two players from there, calling up OF Slade Heathcott and C Gary Sanchez. Those moves put the Yankee roster at 39 players and when Sanchez appears he will become the 55th player used by New York this year. ... Saturday marked the 13th doubleheader between the Blue Jays and Yankees. ... Toronto reached 80 victories in its 140th game, the fourth-fastest in team history. Only the 1985, 1987 and 1992 teams reached 80 wins faster.