TORONTO — There were many reasons to remain wary of the New York Yankees entering the 2013 season, but Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay were not among them.
Yet the former Toronto Blue Jays were among the leading offensive contributors in the Yankees’ 9-4 victory Friday night in front of 40,028 at Rogers Centre.
Overbay, who signed with New York as a free agent last month after the Boston Red Sox released him, homered in the sixth inning. Wells, who joined the team in a late March trade, homered one inning later, putting the game further out of reach for a Blue Jays team that trailed from start to finish.
The Blue Jays, now 7-10 on the season, are ‘sputtering’ right now in the estimation of their manager.
“It hasn’t come together yet,” John Gibbons said after the game. “I think it will. It’s just a matter of time, but you know what, it’s time we start playing some better baseball, there’s no question about it.”
Brandon Morrow failed to contain the Yankees lineup, surrendering home runs to Overbay and Travis Hafner before leaving the game in the top of the sixth inning.
Morrow struggled through 5.1 innings, allowing seven runs — five of which were earned — on nine hits. He struck out the side in the fourth inning, but didn’t contain the Yankees early.
“I felt all right coming out and just was leaving some pitches up that got hit around a little bit,” he said.
Pitching for the first time since experiencing back spasms earlier in the week, Andy Pettitte limited the Blue Jays to three runs in 7.1 innings, striking out five. The 40-year-old left-hander kept the Blue Jays offence in check with few exceptions.
“Guys like (Andy) Pettitte — great pitchers — they don’t make enough mistakes to let you get back in it,” Gibbons said. “That’s just the way it goes.”
After missing four games with back spasms, Jose Bautista returned to the lineup as the Blue Jays’ designated hitter. He said before the game that his back felt looser and ready for game action. Hours later, he hit his fourth home run of the season, a long drive to centre field off of Pettitte.
Travis Hafner led the way for the Yankees, hitting a two-run double in the first inning and adding a solo home run in the third inning. New York improves to 9-6 with the win.
The Yankees added two more early runs when a throw from Colby Rasmus bounced off of catcher J.P. Arencibia and into the opponents’ dugout in the third inning. Arencibia advanced to meet the throw, but was unable to collect it. A pair of unearned runs scored on the play, as Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki advanced.
“The way you make that play is to hold your ground and if you need to back off, back off that way,” Gibbons said. “It could have been an easier play.”
Arencibia acknowledged after the game that Rasmus’ throw ‘ate him up.’ He said he tried to attack the ball to avoid a short-hop and keep the ball in front of him.
The Blue Jays are trying to stay positive despite the lopsided loss to their division rival.
“Obviously we’re not off to the best start, but again no one’s panicking,” Arencibia said. “No one’s worried. We’ve got to make our adjustments and go out there and change this around, but it’s a long season ahead.”
THE BATS: Lawrie hadn’t reached base entering the game, but he collected two hits off of Pettitte. He said before the game that he’s feeling great physically and that he’s trying not to put excessive pressure on himself for any one game.
Rajai Davis and Arencibia bookended the scoring for Toronto. Davis led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple and scored when Melky Cabrera drove him in on a ground ball to second base. Arencibia hit a solo home run in the ninth inning.
When the day began Colby Rasmus led the American League with 23 strikeouts. He added to that total when Pettitte struck him out in his first plate appearance.
THE ARMS: After recording quality starts in two of his first three outings, Morrow struggled Friday. He matched his season highs with nine hits and five earned runs allowed.
After the game, Gibbons was quick to credit the Yankees’ offence.
“They swung the bats,” Gibbons said. “They took it to us with the bats.”
Brett Cecil, Steve Delabar and Darren Oliver pitched in relief of Morrow. Cecil allowed the final two runs the Yankees scored, including Wells’ home run.
WELCOME BACK: Playing in Toronto for the first time since joining the Yankees, Wells drove in a run in the first inning, singled in his second trip to the plate and homered in the seventh inning. Overbay displayed some power of his own, adding a solo home run in the sixth.
Gibbons, who managed both players during his first stint in Toronto, indicated before the game that he has been impressed with their contributions in New York.
“They both did a lot of great things here,” Gibbons said. “They’re both doing a good job for those guys. They’ve settled in.”
The crowd greeted Wells with boos each time his name was announced. While Overbay didn’t generate as much reaction from the fans, he did receive some boos as well.
WHERE THINGS STAND: The Blue Jays and Yankees will face off again Saturday, when Mark Buehrle pitches against Hiroki Kuroda. The Yankees’ lineup includes five starters who bat from the left side, so it’s no surprise that their offensive stats fall off dramatically when facing southpaws. Against left-handed pitching the Yankees ranked 25th in MLB in on-base percentage (.270) and 28th in slugging percentage (.254) entering Friday’s game.
