SBNation.com - Jose Bautista Slugs League-Leading 39th, 40th Home Runs As Blue Jays Down Yankeeshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2010-08-23T22:14:15-04:00http://www.sbnation.com/rss/stream/14027492010-08-23T22:14:15-04:002010-08-23T22:14:15-04:00Jose Bautista Slugs League-Leading 39th, 40th Home Runs As Blue Jays Down Yankees
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<p>Toronto, ON (<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/54107/recap/112450">Sports Network</a>) - <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/389/Jose_Bautista">Jose Bautista</a> hit home runs 39 and 40 on the season, the second of which was a tie-breaking solo blast off <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/players/35050/David_Robertson">David Robertson</a> in the eighth inning, boosting the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/toronto-blue-jays">Blue Jays</a> to a 3-2 win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../mlb/teams/new-york-yankees">New York Yankees</a>.</p>
<p>Bautista's other blast was a two-run shot in the third inning off rookie <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/66531/Ivan_Nova">Ivan Nova</a>, who was making his first major league start. Nova threw a pitch up and high over Bautista in the sixth inning, causing the benches to clear.</p>
<p>Two innings later, Bautista took Robertson's 0-1 offering well over the wall in left field to expand his major league-leading lead in homers. Prior to Monday, Robertson (2-4) hadn't allowed a run in his last 19 appearances.</p>
<p>After the game, Bautista was steamed by a column that appeared in a local newspaper regarding a question if his home run barrage this year was linked to performance-enhancing drugs. Prior to this year, Bautista hadn't hit more than 16 homers in a single season.</p>
<p>"I'm subject to testing all the time, so I don't know where this guys is coming from with these allegations," Bautista said. "Somebody brought it up. I could care less."</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/333/Brandon_Morrow">Brandon Morrow</a> sparkled in the start for the Blue Jays, fanning 12 over six innings. Morrow, who struck out a career-best 17 during a one-hit shutout against Tampa Bay on August 8, gave up four hits and two runs, while walking a pair of hitters. He fanned three batters in an inning three times Monday.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/1022/Scott_Downs">Scott Downs</a> (5-5) got an inning-ending double-play grounder off the bat of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/96/Mark_Teixeira">Mark Teixeira</a> in the eighth inning, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/429/Kevin_Gregg">Kevin Gregg</a> pitched the ninth for his 28th save. Gregg walked <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/607/Robinson_Cano">Robinson Cano</a> to start the inning, but later fanned <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/272/Curtis_Granderson">Curtis Granderson</a> on a questionable third strike call from home plate umpire Jerry Meals on an outside pitch. Pinch-hitter Derek Jeter fouled out down the first base line to end the opener of this three-game series.</p>
<p>Nova departed after giving up six hits over 5 1/3 frames as the Yankees lost for the second time in seven games. They hold a half-game lead in the AL East on Tampa Bay, which plays in Anaheim Monday night.</p>
<p>Cano and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/606/Jorge_Posada">Jorge Posada</a> drove in the runs for New York.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/24/Nick_Swisher">Nick Swisher</a> walked with one out in the first, and with two down Cano doubled to left field for the game's first run.</p>
<p>The Blue Jays loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom half, but were held off the scoreboard. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/864/Vernon_Wells">Vernon Wells</a> flied out to left field, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/31806/Brett_Gardner">Brett Gardner</a> threw a perfect one-hop strike to catcher <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/31106/Francisco_Cervelli">Francisco Cervelli</a> to nail <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/833/Fred_Lewis">Fred Lewis</a> at the plate. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/1027/Adam_Lind">Adam Lind</a> then struck out.</p>
<p>"I thought his change-up was good, I thought his fastball was really good today," Girardi said of Nova. "He gets in that jam in the first inning and finds a way to get out of it. He didn't panic. He continued to throw strikes and he did a good job."</p>
<p>Teixeira doubled with two outs in the third, but was left stranded at third when Cano struck out.</p>
<p>Toronto went ahead in the bottom half. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/993/Yunel_Escobar">Yunel Escobar</a> legged out an infield hit, and then Bautista blasted an offering from Nova over the wall in left- center field.</p>
<p>Escobar flied out to end the fifth and was then ejected by Meals before the top of the next inning. Escobar was standing near the mound when he said something to Meals, who promptly gave the shortstop the ejection. Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston argued and was also shown the door.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/1026/John_McDonald">John McDonald</a> replaced Escobar at shortstop.</p>
<p>Swisher argued with Meals after being called out on strikes on a pitch on the inside corner to start the sixth inning. Yankees manager Joe Girardi was also barking at Meals, but the manager and player were not ejected.</p>
<p>The Yankees tied the game in the sixth. Morrow fanned the first two batters and then went to an 0-2 count on Cano, but walked the second baseman. Posada drove in Cano with a double to right-center field. He went to third on the play, but Granderson struck out.</p>
<p>There was more unrest in the bottom of the sixth. Bautista fouled a ball deep down the left field line and Nova's next pitch went over the batter's head. Meals warned both benches, while Nova and Bautista exchanged words. Both dugouts emptied, but order was restored and Bautista ended up flying out to center field.</p>
<p>Toronto leads the majors with 190 homers this season...This was the first time Robertson gave up a run since allowing four to the Blue Jays July 2...George Bell holds Toronto's home runs record by hitting 47 in 1987.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/23/2319826/jose-bautista-slugs-league-leading-39th-40th-home-runs-as-blue-jaysJeff Sullivan