The Toronto Blue Jays matched the New York Yankees home run for home run in Monday's key divisional showdown, only to lose on a bloop single.
A two-run, sixth-inning looper by Andy Phillips broke a 4-4 deadlock as the Yankees prevailed 6-4 over the visiting Blue Jays in front of 52,993 fans at Yankee Stadium.
Alex Rodriguez hits a two-run homer in Monday's 6-4 Yankees triumph.
(Kathy Willens/Associated Press)
"Fortunately, I got a ball that had eyes on it," Phillips said.
Alex Rodriguez crushed a two-run homer for the Yankees (46-44), who moved two games up on third-place Toronto in the American League East and kept pace with front-running Boston.
The Red Sox blanked the Kansas City Royals 4-0 to remain nine games ahead of the Yankees.
Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano also homered as New York notched its fifth win in six games and ninth in its last 13 outings.
"I think it's big for this team to have everyone contribute because Alex has carried us a lot this year," Phillips said.
Scott Proctor (2-5) earned the win in relief of Japanese starter Kei Igawa, who surrendered three runs on seven hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in five innings pitched.
Igawa, who signed last Dec. 27 for five years and $20 million US, remains winless since April 28.
"He made a lot of good pitches," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.
Mariano Rivera recorded the final three outs, two by strikeout, for his third save in as many days and 14th save this season.
"He got me with a pitch I haven't seen him throw in 12 years, about a 96 mph sinker," Blue Jays slugger Frank Thomas said. "I haven't seen him throw that since he was a setup man."
Troy Glaus homered twice and tripled to pace the Blue Jays (45-47), who were coming off a four-game split at Boston.
Glaus finished 3-for-4 with three runs batted in and two runs scored.
All-star Alex Rios cranked his team-high 19th homer, a solo shot off Proctor that tied it 4-4 in the top of the sixth inning.
"We just couldn't bring them in tonight," Rios said.
Toronto starter Josh Towers (4-6) was tagged with the loss, permitting six runs on nine hits and one walk with two strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.
Towers is 2-8 lifetime in 13 appearances (nine starts) versus the Yankees.
Matsui begins homer binge
Matsui opened the scoring for New York with a solo homer to left field in the bottom of the second inning.
It was Matsui's 14th homer of the season and followed one out later by Cano's ninth, a similar solo shot to right off Towers.
Toronto tied it 2-2 in the top of the third inning when Igawa walked Wells and surrendered a two-run homer to right by Glaus, his 13th.
The Yankees regained the lead in the bottom of the frame as Derek Jeter singled and Rodriguez ripped a two-run homer to left, his league-leading 32nd this season and 496th overall.
"That one felt good," Rodriguez said.
Glaus replied with a mammoth homer to right-centre off Igawa leading off the fifth, and Rios pulled Toronto even with a homer to left off Proctor in the sixth.
But the Yankees answered right back as Jorge Posada singled and Cano doubled to put runners in scoring position for Phillips, who flared a two-run single over second base and in front of a hard-charging Wells to plate the decisive runs.
"I'm just hoping that ball will hurry up and get down before he gets to it," Phillips said.
"He has been a clutch hitter for us lately," Rodriguez noted. "He's been the ultimate underdog [so] how can you not cheer for this guy?"
With files from Sports Network
