NEW YORK – Jay Bruce celebrated his 34th birthday by picking up his first hit and RBI in a Yankees uniform, which led his new club to a 5-3 victory over the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon at the Yankee Stadium.
Bruce handed Tim Mayza a two-run unloader in the sixth inning, helping the Fire Department retire for their first win of the young season, and Gary Sanchez scored for the second time in so many other games, as a home run player. ‘Elston Howard (1963) the only Yankee catchers to have scored in their first two contests of a season.
Corey Kluber kept Toronto on two runs (one win) and five hits in more than four innings in his Yankees debut. Twice award winner Cy Young sailed around three walks, one hit and one wild throw, scoring five in a 74-throw effort. After Marcus Semien’s solo homer chased Kluber, Jonathan Loaisiga was relieved, removing the six batters he faced and eliminating three.
New York scored three runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 counters against Toronto starter Ross Stripling. DJ LeMahieu threw a single field in the second inning, Sanchez threw a 365-foot line to the left field seats in the fourth. Aaron Hicks also hit in a run with a base-loaded single in the fourth, a Stripling-laden run.