Toronto, ON (Sports Network) – Aaron Hill went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer, as the Toronto Blue Jays slugged their way past the New York Yankees, 8-4, in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Travis Snider and John Buck added solo shots for Toronto, which set a franchise record for home runs in a season with 247. Snider homered in Tuesday’s game to equal the previous record of 244.
The Blue Jays, playing their final home game of the season, paid tribute to manager Cito Gaston with a pre-game ceremony. It had previously been announced that Gaston would retire at the end of this season, concluding his second stint as the team’s manager.
Toronto gave Gaston one final victory at Rogers Centre, winning for the sixth time in its last seven games.
Toronto hit all three of its homers off Javier Vazquez (10-10), who gave up seven runs on 10 hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings.
New York had a chance to vault into first place in the AL East after Tampa Bay lost to Baltimore on Wednesday. However, the loss keeps the Yankees a half- game behind the Rays heading into the final weekend of the season. Tampa Bay plays at Kansas City for four games, while New York visits Boston for three.