Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer in the first inning as the New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Thursday night to win for their 11th time in 16 games.
Nestor Cortes (4-2) allowed two runs and five hits in six-plus innings to snap a four-start winless streak. He struckout six batters and walked one batter.
“Just a great way to end a very good series for us,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
Anthony Volpe also homered for the Yankees, who took three of Toronto’s four. The rookie shortstop made it 4-2 with a solo shot off Nate Pearson in the ninth, his seventh of the season.
The Yankees hit 33 home runs in 17 games this month.
Aaron Judge, right, celebrates his two-run home run against Toronto with Gleyber Torres (25)
New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes works against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first
“I feel like we’re rolling right now,” Cortes said. “I feel like we’re playing really good baseball. The dugout comes to life.’
Ryan Weber worked one inning, Albert Abreu threw the eighth and Ron Marinaccio finished for his first career save.
“We called that Nestor and the Funky Bunch tonight,” Boone joked, acknowledging that the quartet of Michael King, Clay Holmes, Jimmy Cordero, and Wandy Peralta were all unavailable.
“It’s one of those days where a lot of your big boys are down and you just have to find a way,” Boone added.
Bo Bichette homered in the bottom of the first, but Toronto lost its first home series of the season after winning five in a row.
José Berríos (3-4) gave up three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings and lost for the first time since April 19 in Houston. He walked one batter and struckout eight batters.
Judge connected on an 1-1 pitch by Berríos after Gleyber Torres led off the game with a single.
“That was big, and then Nestor kind of took over,” Boone said. “AJ setting the tone right out of the gate was fun.”
The homer was Judge’s 12th of the season and sixth in six games. The reigning AL MVP homered four times in the series, including going deep twice in Monday’s opener and tied in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s 6-3 win.
Judge said his powerful run wasn’t motivated by spite after being accused of stealing signs on Monday when the Toronto broadcast caught him peeking away from home plate before homering on Blue Jays reliever Jay Jackson. Jackson later acknowledged that he tipped his pitches.
“I’m just trying to do my job,” Judge said. “I was angry, but I can’t help it. I still have to go out and play.”
Judge has six home runs from his last nine hits. He almost made contact a second time in the sixth, but the replay showed his deep drive hit the top of the wall at center, negating the field call. Judge ended with a double.
“He’s been locked up for the past four days,” Berríos said.
New York chased Berríos to make it 3-1 in the seventh when Oswaldo Cabrera doubled and scored on a two-out single by Aaron Hicks, who went 3 for 4.
Kept out of the starting lineup due to a sore right knee, Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. off the bench to squeeze Santiago Espinal with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh. Guerrero hit a sacrifice fly on the first pitch he saw from Weber to make it 3-2.
Cortes stumbles while trying to field a bunt from Jays’ Daulton Varsho, who was safe at first base
CARDINALS 16, DODGERS 8
Willson Contreras hit two three-run homers, Nolan Gorman also homered twice, and the St. Louis Cardinals went deep in a home game for the first time in 83 years, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 16-8 in a Thursday night slugfest.
Nolan Arenado added a two-run homer, and Juan Yepez and Paul DeJong each hit solo homers for St. Louis.
The Cardinals, who have homed a season-high seven games in a row, hit seven in a home game for the first time since May 7, 1940, when they faced the Brooklyn Dodgers. Yepez, Gorman and DeJong hit consecutive homers in the sixth inning.
Freddie Freeman hit a grand slam and Max Muncy added a solo homer for the Dodgers. It was Freeman’s fourth grand slam and his 300th career home run. Los Angeles leads the majors this season with five grand slams and is second with 74 home runs.
The teams’ nine combined home runs set a record for Busch Stadium.
Adam Wainwright (1-0) gave up five runs – two earned – and five hits in 5 1/3 innings for the win in his third start this season.
Dodgers starter Julio Urias (5-4) made his first career start against the Cardinals and it didn’t go well. He gave up six runs in three innings.
Juan Yepez of the St. Louis Cardinals throws his bat in celebration after hitting a solo home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, May 18, 2023 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
ANGELS 6, ORIOLS 5
Shohei Ohtani homered in the first inning and hit a tiebreaking infield single in the eighth, and Hunter Renfroe’s great defensive play in the ninth helped Los Angeles hold onto a victory over Baltimore.
Mike Trout also went deep for the Angels, and Anthony Santander and Adley Rutschman homered for Baltimore. Rutschman’s two-run shot in the seventh gave Baltimore a 5–4 lead, but it was shortlived.
Bryan Baker (3-1) was charged with the loss. Chris Devenski (1-0) took the win and Carlos Estévez threw the ninth for his 10th save in 10 chances.
With one out in the ninth, Adam Frazier lined out to right, but Renfroe played the ball beautifully off the wall and made a great throw to second base to catch Frazier on a double attempt.
Los Angeles Angels designated batter Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting a home run
METS 3, RAYS 2
Pete Alonso homered again and the Mets had consecutive wins for the first time in a month.
The game was tied at 2 before Tommy Pham bounced to third with one out in the sixth inning and drove in Jeff McNeil with the infield hit against Zack Littell (0-1).
Tylor Megill (5-2) worked six innings of two-run ball for the win. David Robertson gave up Randy Arozarena’s one-out double in the ninth before completing his eighth save.
The Mets won consecutive games for the first time since April 20–21 in San Francisco. They won a series for the first time since taking two of three wins at the Los Angeles Dodgers from April 17-19.
Josh Lowe homered for Tampa Bay, which dropped four of its six.
Mets first baseman Pete Alonso tags out Harold Ramirez of Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth
GUARDIANS 3, WHITE SOX 1
Cam Gallagher hit an RBI single during Cleveland’s two-run seventh inning, and the Guardians defeated Dylan Cease and the White Sox.
Gabriel Arias homered as Cleveland saved the final of the three-game series. Nick Sandlin (2-1) retired four for the win and Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his 15th save.
Cleveland’s catchers were 0 for 44 with 26 strikeouts in May for Gallagher’s hit.
Louis Robert Jr. hit two hits for Chicago, including a double. Seby Zavala hit an RBI-single in the fourth.
Cease (2-3) got three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 at bat.
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase, left, slaps catcher Cam Gallagher in the hand
MARLINS 5, SUBJECTS 3
Eury Pérez threw five solid innings for Miami and got his first major league win in his second start.
Bryan De La Cruz homered for Miami in the second, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games. Nick Fortes had two hits, including an RBI single in the eighth.
The Marlins extended their win streak to four games.
The 20-year old Pérez (1-0) gave up one run and three hits. He struckout six batters and walked one batter.
Dylan Floro threw a scoreless ninth for his fourth save of the season.
Jeimer Candelario homered for Washington. Trevor Williams (1-2) was credited with three runs and five hits in six innings.