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New York Yankees’ Gleyber Torres reacts after grounding out to Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
NEW YORK (AP) — Stingy pitching might just carry these Toronto Blue Jays into the playoffs.
Kevin Gausman tossed six shutout innings, outdueling Michael King as they traded strikeouts all night, and Toronto beat the New York Yankees 6-1 on Wednesday for its fifth consecutive victory.
“It’s just fun to be playing meaningful games,” Gausman said. “Every game matters right now and every win is one step closer to our goal.”
Locked in a heated pennant race, the Blue Jays scored five times in the final two innings and stayed a game ahead of Texas and Seattle for the second of three American League wild cards. Toronto hasn’t lost since getting swept at home in four games by the Rangers last week.
“A complete 360,” Gausman said. “Coming off the worst series of the year and then sweeping Boston and obviously coming here and winning the first two, it’s been night and day demeanor-wise, clubhouse energy.”
Spencer Horwitz had three RBIs, Bo Bichette drove in two runs and the Blue Jays drew five walks in the eighth from two relievers — including four in a row and two with the bases loaded.
“Guys were patient,” manager John Schneider said. “Loved the way they kind of kept passing the baton.”
That made a hard-luck loser of King (4-7), a converted reliever who set career highs across the board with 13 strikeouts over seven innings on 101 pitches in his seventh start this season. The lone run he allowed came on Bichette’s infield hit that glanced off his glove in the third, the last of three consecutive two-out singles by Toronto.
It was the most strikeouts for a Yankees pitcher since Gerrit Cole whiffed 14 against…
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