Yankees 8, Blue Jays 4 (Game 1)
NEW YORK - Robinson Cano went 4-for-4 and drove in four runs as the New York Yankees rallied for an 8-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.
Cano had his third four-hit game of the season, and the second baseman highlighted it with a three-run home run in the third inning that made him the 16th Yankee to reach 200 career home runs.
Cano also drove in Ichiro Suzuki, who led off the seventh inning with a single that put him within one of reaching 4,000 combined hits in Japan and in the American League. Ichiro also doubled in the third ahead of Cano's 23rd home run.
The Yankees won for the seventh time in nine games and their go-ahead runs came from the unlikely bat of Chris Stewart, who hit a three-run home run with two outs in the sixth off Toronto reliever Neil Wagner (2-4).
Stewart came up after Alex Rodriguez led off the inning with a single against Toronto starter Esmil Rogers and Jayson Nix drew a walk from Wagner Stewart. Stewart then drove a 2-1 fastball into the left field seats, giving the Yankees their first lead of the afternoon.
It was Stewart's first home run in 174 at-bats since May 15 against Seattle.
New York starter Ivan Nova (7-4) struggled early but settled down and won his third consecutive decision. Nova allowed four runs and nine hits over 6 1/3 innings.
Boone Logan recorded the second out of the seventh and Shawn Kelley escaped a bases-loaded jam by retiring Brett Lawrie on a fly out to center field.
David Robertson struck out two in the eighth and Joba Chamberlain recorded the first out of the ninth before Mariano Rivera finished up in a non-save situation.
Rajai Davis had a two-run double in the four-run second for Toronto, which lost slugger Jose Bautista to left hip soreness. The team said he was game-to-game.
Maicer Izturis and rookie Kevin Pillar drove in the other runs for Toronto, which has dropped seven of its past 11 games.
Rogers allowed four runs and seven hits in five-plus innings.
NOTES: New York manager Joe Girardi was still angry at Boston RHP Ryan Dempster for hitting Rodriguez with a pitch in the second inning Sunday night. "That baseball is a weapon," Girardi said before the game. "It's not a tennis ball." MLB announced during the game that Dempster has been suspended five games. ... SS Derek Jeter was slated to run the bases in his second simulated game at the team's minor league complex in Tampa. The Yankees are uncertain if Jeter will rejoin the team this weekend in Tampa Bay. ... New York SS Eduardo Nunez missed the game with a hamstring injury and received treatment for the injury he suffered on Sunday. ... Toronto SS Jose Reyes returned after missing two games with a sore right knee. ... Blue Jays SS Munenori Kawasaki was activated from the paternity list. Both teams were allowed to add a 26th player to the roster for the doubleheader. Toronto added RHP Thad Weber and the Yankees added RHP Preston Claiborne. ... Although he drove in his first career run, Pillar is hitless in his first 17 career at-bats. ... Chamberlain briefly lost his contact lens when he tagged out Reyes for the first out of the ninth.
