Times wires
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
TORONTO — The Yankees are never more comfortable than when they hand a lead to Mariano Rivera. But even the best closer in baseball has the occasional off night.
The Blue Jays scored twice off Rivera in the ninth inning before outfielder Travis Snider doubled home the winning run in the 10th, beating the Yankees 6-5 on Tuesday night.
"That's all the inspiration we need as players is to see what we did in the ninth inning against Mariano," Snider said. "To be able to give ourselves a chance, to go out there and just have that shot, I'm very thankful for it."
Rivera suffered his first blown save in eight chances before the Blue Jays won it against Ivan Nova.
"We got it to where we wanted to, and we just didn't hold onto it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
Edwin Encarnacion opened the 10th with a single. After Jayson Nix and Yunel Escobar flied out, Snider doubled, scoring Encarnacion.
Jon Rauch pitched one inning for the win as the Blue Jays snapped a three-game losing streak and won for the first time this season when trailing after eight innings.
Jose Bautista hit a solo home run, his fourth, for the Blue Jays.
Mark Teixeira hit a two-run shot and Curtis Granderson added a solo drive for the Yankees, who lead the majors with 29 home runs.
Toronto trailed 5-3 to begin the ninth against Rivera, who hadn't allowed a run in 19 consecutive April appearances.
"Going in there, I had it in mind that everything was going to be fine," Rivera said. "(Tuesday) wasn't a good day."
Escobar led off with a double to center, took third on a grounder and scored on a wild pitch that was ball four to Bautista.
"I held the ball too long," Rivera said. "I wanted to go away, and it was way too away and ended up being a wild pitch."
Adam Lind followed with a single, putting runners on the corners for John McDonald, who drove in the tying run with a squeeze bunt up the first-base line.
Teixeira charged the ball and flipped to catcher Russell Martin but too late to get the sliding Bautista.
The rally snapped Rivera's streak of 171/3 scoreless innings in April, a run that stretched to April 30, 2009.
"That's the thing about Mo, he's not perfect, but he's close to it," Teixeira said.