Martin homers twice as Jays down Yankees
NEW YORK -- Russell Martin hit his first two home runs of the season in consecutive at-bats Wednesday night as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the New York Yankees 8-4.
Martin had not homered in his first 124 at-bats this year, but he ended the drought on consecutive swings in the sixth and seventh innings.
Martin opened the sixth by sending a 1-0 fastball from Ivan Nova (3-2) into the left field seats. An inning later, he drove a 1-2 pitch from left-handed reliever Chasen Shreve into the right field seats for a two-run home run and a 7-1 lead.
It was Martin's 11th career game with at least two home runs and his first instance since Sept. 11, 2015, at Yankee Stadium.
Martin's home runs were sandwiched around a two-run blast by Michael Saunders in the seventh off Shreve.
After Saunders' ninth home run of the year and Martin's second, Toronto starter Marco Estrada (2-2) began the seventh by allowing back-to-back home runs to Chase Headley and Didi Gregorius.
Estrada finished the inning quickly. In his seven-inning outing, he allowed three runs on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts.
After Joe Biagini pitched a scoreless eighth, Chad Girodo allowed a pinch-hit home run to Austin Romine in the ninth. Roberto Osuna entered with one out and a runner on but quickly finished Toronto's fourth win in 11 games.
The Blue Jays played without Troy Tulowitzki (strained right quad). Ryan Goins replaced Tulowitzki at shortstop and began Toronto's big night with a two-run double.
Edwin Encarnacion added insurance with an RBI single in the eighth.
Nova allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He exited after hitting Encarnacion in the foot with a pitch.
The Yankees loaded the bases with no outs in the third on two singles and a walk but only came away with one run. Jacoby Ellsbury's fly ball to left field was not deep to enough to score Headley. However, when Brett Gardner beat out a potential inning-ending, double-play grounder, the run came home.
After wasting chances in the first and third off Nova, Toronto took a 2-1 lead with two outs in the fourth. Kevin Pillar and Devon Travis had consecutive infield hits to Headley at third, and they scored on Goins' double.
NOTES: Yankees manager Joe Girardi said "there's a pretty good chance" that DH Alex Rodriguez (strained right hamstring) could be activated from the disabled list Thursday after two rehab games with Double-A Trenton. ... The Blue Jays activated 2B Devon Travis from the DL, doing so about a week before he was expected to come back from offseason left shoulder surgery. ... Toronto SS Troy Tulowitzki sat out with tightness in his right quad and remains day-to-day. Manager John Gibbons said Tulowitzki still is sore but feeling better than Tuesday. ... Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira was in the original starting lineup, but Girardi said he was out because of a recurrence of neck spasms that sidelined him for two games May 10-11. ... To get Travis on the active roster, Toronto optioned LHP/RHP Pat Venditte to Triple-A Buffalo.