Blue Jays toss one to the Yankees

TORONTO -- It is a play that is worked on regularly in spring training.

With runners at first and second, there is a bunt to the left side of the infield that is fielded by the pitcher.

The problem for the Toronto Blue Jays in the 11th inning of their 18th game of the regular season, was that they did not execute this fundamental play.

The resulting two runs on an error charged to relief pitcher Aaron Loup gave the New York Yankees a 5-3 victory over the Blue Jays before a sellout crowd of 46,095 at Rogers Centre.

After singles by Vernon Wells and Francisco Cervelli opened the 11th, ,Loup (1-1) fielded Ichiro Suzuki's sacrifice bunt to the left side of the mound and threw to third to try for the force.

But third baseman Brett Lawrie had not yet reached the base. Loup's throw went astray and two runs scored, with Ichiro going to second on the error.

"It's a play we run all spring training long, basically every day," the left-hander said. "I thought the ball was bunted pretty much back to me for the most part. I felt we had a decent play at third base.

"I didn't have enough awareness to realize that Lawrie was crashing in on the play and by the time I realized that he was backpedaling back to the bag it was too late and I had already let go of the ball."

It wasted a comeback by the Blue Jays, who had scored three runs in the eighth on two-out singles by Rajai Davis for one run and Melky Cabrera for two that tied the game, 3-3.

"After the team battles back to tie the game up, it's a bad way to lose the game," Loup said.

It caught Wells by surprise that the play went to third.

"I was shocked," said the former Blue Jay who hit a home run in the second inning. "You know what, you get in the moment and you make an aggressive play like that and sometimes it works out. You look great when it works out and bad when it doesn't."

Said Lawrie: Obviously in that situation you want an out. With Ichiro, I was playing in because he's fast as well so he could push one. I just wanted to get back to the bag in time, but by the time I turned around the ball was already by me."

"It means our guys are seizing opportunities and you have to do that," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Said manager John Gibbons of the Blue Jays: "We've got to play better baseball. It's been no secret; it's not bad breaks or anything like that, we're just not playing good enough."

Right-hander Shawn Kelley (1-0) pitched two-thirds of an inning to earn the win. Mariano Rivera picked up his fifth save of the season despite allowing a leadoff double to Jose Bautista in the 11th.

Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, who shut out the Baltimore Orioles in his previous start, also was effective against the Blue Jays.

"I thought his slider was really good today," Girardi said. "He used it really effectively against the right-handers. He used his split pretty effectively, threw some early curveballs. He just mixed his pitches. He gave us a great outing again."

Kuroda held Toronto to three hits, one walk and one run while striking out seven over 7 1/3 innings.

However, right-hander David Robertson gave up two hits and two runs as well as allowing the runner he inherited from Kuroda to score as the Blue Jays tied the game, 3-3, in the eighth.

Toronto left-hander Mark Buehrle allowed three runs and eight hits, including Wells' home run in the second inning and a two-run single by Kevin Youkilis in the fifth.

The Yankees (10-6) took the lead in the second on Wells' fifth home run of the season and his second in two games against his former team. He lined a 3-and-2 changeup off the foul pole in left with one out and the bases empty.

"Big day for Vernon to get us on the board and then in that 11th inning, to lead off with a single." Girardi said. "Just a big day."

The Yankees added two runs in the fifth. Jayson Nix led off with a single and took third on Brett Gardner's double. After Buehrle struck out Ben Francisco, Robinson Cano was walked intentionally.

Youkilis was given credit for a two-run single when his line drive eluded Lawrie and skipped off his glove into left field.

"It was just a knuckleball," Lawrie said.

Right-hander Esmil Rogers replaced Buehrle in the eighth and allowed a leadoff double to former Blue Jay Lyle Overbay, who entered the game at first base in the sixth after Youkilis developed back tightness.

Rogers escaped the inning on three ground balls and was helped on the first one by a superb defensive play by Lawrie.

Robertson replaced Kuroda in the eighth after Colby Rasmus grounded a one-out single. He struck out Izturis before walking pinch-hitter Adam Lind.

Davis put the Blue Jays on the board when he grounded a single up the middle that scored Rasmus and sent pinch-runner Emilio Bonifacio to third. Davis stole second and Cabrera lined a single to center to tie the game.

NOTES: The Blue Jays have been outscored in the first inning, 16-9, this season. ... Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner singled in the third inning to extend his hitting streak to seven games. ... Ichiro Suzuki hit two doubles on Friday after entering the game with only one extra base hit this season, a solo home run at Cleveland on April 9. ... Blue Jays right-hander Josh Johnson (0-1, 6.91 ERA) is one of two Blue Jays starters without a victory this season and he tries for the fourth time on Sunday against right-hander Ivan Nova (1-1, 5.59 ERA). Right-hander Brandon Morrow is Toronto's other winless starter.