Giants move closer to NL West title
September 30, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Pablo Sandoval(notes) hit a splash shot into McCovey Cove,Andres Torres(notes) and Buster Posey(notes) also homered and the NL West-leading SanFrancisco Giants beat Arizona 4-1 Thursday, leaving them just one win away fromthe division title.
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}}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init(); Series at a Glance Arizona 2 San Francisco 4 Tue, Sep 28 – Final Arizona 1 San Francisco 3 Wed, Sep 29 – Final Arizona 1 San Francisco 4 Thu, Sep 30 – Final
San Francisco began the day with a two-game edge over San Diego, which laterhosted the Chicago Cubs.
The Giants completed a three-game sweep, won for the eighth time in 10 gamesand cut their magic number to two. They need to beat visiting San Diego onlyonce in their season-ending, three-game series to claim their first divisioncrown and playoff berth since 2003.
Matt Cain(notes) starts Friday night’s series opener for San Francisco. It could beto clinch—and it’s expected to be an electrifying scene at AT&T Park for allthree sold-out games.
Torres’ go-ahead, solo homer in the fifth inning helped rookie MadisonBumgarner(notes) (7-6) earn his first home victory in eight tries. Posey hit a two-runhomer in the sixth, the rookie’s seventh shot in September.
Overall, the Giants have hit 16 home runs in their last seven games.
Barry Enright(notes) (6-7) lost his fifth straight start. He has given up 12 homersduring that span after surrendering just eight longballs in his previous 12outings.
Sandoval’s solo shot into the water beyond right field with two outs in thesecond prompted one of two kayakers paddling for the ball to jump out of hisboat and swim to snag the souvenir.
It was the first home run for the struggling slugger since Aug. 28, ahomerless stretch of 66 at-bats. Sandoval has just 12 hits in his last 63at-bats.
Sandoval connected for his fourth career splash hit and second this year. Itwas the fifth by a Giant in 2010, 55th by San Francisco overall and 77th totalin the 11-year ballpark’s history. Barry Bonds, the home run king, has 35 ofthem.
Arizona loaded the bases against Bumgarner in the fourth, getting Enright’ssacrifice fly to tie it at 1. But the D-backs did little else against Bumgarnerand the bullpen.
Bumgarner had been 0-3 at home with a 4.95 ERA before winning Thursday. Hestruck out seven and walked one in five innings, allowing seven hits and onerun.
The 21-year-old lefty pitched on an extra day’s rest after he had his startpushed back a day as ace Tim Lincecum(notes) pitched Wednesday night on normal rest.Bumgarner has allowed only five earned runs in his last 38 innings over his lastsix starts.
Ramon Ramirez(notes) pitched the ninth for his third save in as many tries as theGiants completed their third sweep of the season against Arizona. Manager BruceBochy gave All-Star closer Brian Wilson(notes) a break after he saved back-to-backgames, including a five-out effort Tuesday.
Arizona struck out 12 times after 14 Ks in Wednesday’s 3-1 loss. The Giants’pitching staff has a majors-best 1,306 strikeouts and established a SanFrancisco single-season franchise record, topping last year’s total of 1,302.
Notes: Posey also hit seven home runs in July. He’d been in a 1-for-19stretch before the homer. … 2B Freddy Sanchez(notes) returned to the Giants’ startinglineup after missing the first two games of the series with a strained rightshoulder. … Struggling 3B Mark Reynolds(notes) was back in the D-backs’ startinglineup after missing three straight starts with a sore thumb. He is in an0-for-19 funk and 3 for his last 34. … The Giants won the season series 13-5,going 6-2 at home.
Reds’ Baker says new contract not focus
September 30, 2010
CINCINNATI (AP)—Reds manager Dusty Baker is staying quiet about hiscontract situation.
Baker, in the last year of a three-year deal, led the Reds to the NL Centraltitle this season for their first playoff appearance in 15 years.
There are multiple reports that Baker is closing in on a new agreement withCincinnati, but the manager says: “Most reports are wrong. We’re close. We’vebeen close for a while. My contract is not the focal point.”
Cincinnati clinched the division title with a 3-2 win over the Astros onTuesday and was hosting Houston again Thursday night.
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Twins’ Morneau out for at least ALDS
September 30, 2010
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Minnesota slugger Justin Morneau(notes) has ruled himself out ofthe first round of the playoffs, though he is aiming to be available later inOctober if the Twins advance.
Morneau took batting practice and fielded grounders at Target Field onThursday. He was upbeat afterward and told reporters he felt fine, hoping toramp up workouts to be ready to play in the AL championship series if possible.
Morneau has been out since he suffered a concussion in Toronto on July 7,kneed in the head inadvertently by Blue Jays second baseman John McDonald(notes). Theaftereffects lingered well into September, but the All-Star first baseman hasbeen improving.
Morneau was hitting .345 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs when he went down.
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Mauer back in Twins’ lineup as DH
September 30, 2010
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Joe Mauer(notes) has returned to Minnesota’s lineup for thefirst time since hurting his left knee 11 days ago.
Mauer was batting third as the designated hitter for the Twins in Thursday’sgame against the Toronto Blue Jays. He last played Sept. 19, when he hurt theknee during a sixth-inning swing and was taken out of the game.
The Twins also put shortstop J.J. Hardy(notes) back in the lineup on Thursday. Heplayed in only one of the previous eight games, bothered by a sore left knee andbefore that migraine headaches.
Designated hitter Jim Thome(notes) is still out because of a bad back.
First baseman Justin Morneau(notes) also ran around on the field and took earlybatting practice before the game, a step forward in his recovery from aconcussion that knocked him out on July 7.
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Cox seeks 1 more postseason with Braves
September 30, 2010
ATLANTA (AP)—Bobby Cox is still waiting for the one retirement gift hewants most of all—one last trip to the postseason.
It’s a gift that could keep him in the dugout a few weeks longer.
“I’ll have time to reflect on what has happened this year and throughout mytime in Atlanta in about another month and a half,” Cox told The AssociatedPress on Wednesday.
Another month and a half? The regular season ends Sunday. Cox, who isretiring as manager when the season ends, obviously has big postseason plans forthe Braves.
Atlanta leads the race for the NL wild-card berth and Cox said anotherplayoff run would be the perfect ending. During his quarter-century with theBraves he led them to a run of 14 straight division titles beginning in 1991,including the 1995 World Series title.
Cox said adding one more postseason appearance to the collection of pennantson the Turner Field facade would mean “a lot.”
“Win or lose, we’ve had a great year, but we’re in this to win and one moreup there would be great for the organization and would be a great way to go outin retirement,” he said. “We’re trying to give it everything we’ve got rightnow.”
The Braves open a season-ending three-game series with Philadelphia onFriday.
Those who have been with Cox the longest were surprised when he announcedhis retirement plans one year ago. He normally avoids the spotlight, and withhis announcement he set up the 2010 season filled with questions about his plansfrom reporters in every city and the procession of tributes from other NL teams.
That’s not the sort of attention Cox normally enjoys.
Cox, who wears No. 6, was given a 6 from Chicago’s Wrigley Field scoreboard.He was given a cowboy hat and boots from the Houston Astros, a case of TomSeaver’s wine from the New York Mets, a flag that flew over the U.S. Capitolfrom the Washington Nationals, among other gifts.
The respect for Cox, the fourth-winningest manager in history, has beenobvious. The surprise is that Cox has seemed to relish baseball’s embrace.
“I’ve seen him smile more this year than in any year past,” said thirdbaseman Chipper Jones(notes), the 16-year veteran who has played only for Cox. “Youcan really sense him taking a step back and trying to enjoy all the gratitudethat he’s getting, not just from this town and this organization but all acrossthe land.”
The biggest celebration comes Saturday. The Braves will honor Cox, 69, in aceremony before their game against the Phillies.
“It’s just an opportunity to focus for one particular day on a great manand a great career and pay tribute in as appropriate a fashion as theorganization could do it, on behalf of ourselves and our fans,” said BravesPresident John Schuerholz.
Former Braves owner Ted Turner called Cox “a great friend and one of thebest managers in baseball history.”
“His quiet leadership played a major role in the Braves going from worst tofirst,” Turner said of the 1991 season. “His presence on the field will besorely missed when he retires. The world of baseball won’t be the same withoutBobby Cox.”
The Braves’ playoff hopes rest on the final three-game series. It’s anappropriate regular-season farewell for the longtime manager.
“From a playoff standpoint, there’s nothing better than coming down to thelast three games of the year to get there,” Jones said. “It’s fitting thatBobby doesn’t get just one day. He gets the whole weekend.”
Braves closer Billy Wagner(notes) said the team wants to win for Cox.
“I think we all would like to get that opportunity for Bobby but I thinkwe’ve kind of steered away from saying that a lot, because that’s a lot ofpressure,” Wagner said.
“We all know that Bobby is what has got us where we’re at, and if itweren’t for Bobby, we wouldn’t be here. He’s been so calm through all thesestorms this year and all the ups and downs that you feel very comfortable andrelaxed that you’re going to be able to go out there and do something veryspecial for him.”
Many of Cox former players are expected to return for Saturday’s ceremony.
“It’s been fun,” Cox said. “The organizations that have done this on theroad, it has just been neat. It’s humbling. It’s not embarrassing. You don’tlike to draw attention, but these people are great baseball people. It’s beenfun in every city to have a little thing on the field, a little ceremony. I’vegotten all kinds of little gifts. They’re all neat. They all mean something tome.”
Cox’s current 21-year run as Atlanta’s manager is his second stint with theteam. Most of his memories will be good ones, though the notable low point was a1995 arrest after his wife, Pam, called police to break up an argument. Thecouple had counseling, and a simple battery charge was dropped later in theyear.
Cox also might have a few mixed emotions about umpires. He holds the majorleague record with 158 ejections, though umpires give him credit for mostly juststicking up for his players.
Cox was only 36 when hired as manager in 1978. He was fired by the Braves in1981 and quickly hired by Toronto, where he was the manager from 1982-85. Hemoved back to Atlanta in 1985 as the Braves’ general manager—assembling thewould-be dynasty from the front office—before agreeing during the 1990 seasonto return to the dugout.
Schuerholz joined the organization as general manager after the 1990 season.Cox and Schuerholz formed a successful management team during a run thatincluded five World Series appearances and the record 14 straight divisiontitles from 1991-2005.
Saturday’s win at Washington was the 2,500th of Cox’s career. Only ConnieMack, John McGraw and Tony La Russa have more wins. Cox also has won 90 or moregames in 15 seasons, second to only McGraw.
In his last visit to Atlanta with the St. Louis Cardinals, La Russa said Cox“has had the best managerial career of anybody I’ve been around. … He’s doneit exactly the right way, which is most important.
“I hope he gets to the postseason. I hope they get to the postseason.”
The Braves have moved from Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium to Turner Field andhave rebuilt following the end of the era with Greg Maddux(notes), Tom Glavine(notes) and JohnSmoltz(notes) as the leaders of the rotation. Schuerholz said Cox remained the constantin 21 consecutive seasons with the team.
“Bobby is Bobby. Bobby has been Bobby since I’ve known him,” Schuerholzsaid. “He’s very good person. Very big-hearted. Very kind. Very considerate.Very likable. Very nice to people. I mean, that’s what he’s been as a person.
“Yeah, he’s a competitor. He’s tough in that dugout doing his job, but ithas worked out pretty well.”
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre said Cox “is a very honorable man.”
“Bobby’s a good baseball man; we all know that,” Torre said this week.“But what a lot of people don’t understand … is what the manager’s job is.And Bobby takes it to another level, because he cares about people. He teacheshis lessons in his own way. You have to play the game the way it’s supposed tobe played, otherwise you’ll hear from him. And he has a great deal of respectfor the game, which is where it all starts from.”
Cox said he had to make his retirement plans public last year or he mightnever walk away.
Now, with or without another trip to the playoffs, Cox’s time in uniform isabout to end.
There’s no backing out. Pam has purchased tickets for a cruise scheduled todepart on April 18, 2011.
“Prepaid,” Cox said. “We can’t get out of that one. Once you pay you’vegot to go.”
When asked about his favorite memories, Cox said “Every year was a greatyear for me. Baseball, just being in uniform, just makes it great.
“Baseball is a blur to be honest with you. It goes by in a snap of thefingers.”
Cox will remain a part of the organization as a consultant.
“I’ll miss managing, there’s no doubt about it, but I’m gonna be connectedjust a tiny bit to the organization where I can have my own schedule,” he said.“My intentions are to go down and mingle some with the minor leaguers, cheerthem up a bit during the course of the season.”
Will that be enough baseball to satisfy Cox? Some worry that retirementcould be difficult for the man who is usually at Turner Field by noon for nightgames and through his career often made daily visits to the stadium even duringthe offseason.
It’s a question he can’t answer.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I can only drink so much coffee in themornings. I intend to play some golf, do a little fishing and still come downearly maybe and see the clubhouse guys maybe and say hello.”
Cox said Pam has talked about wanting to see the NHL Atlanta Thrashers.
Cox is OK with the hockey plans as long as he can sneak in a few baseballgames.
“I can come to some Braves games and sit with her for a while and have acoke and a bag of popcorn and enjoy it,” he said. “Relax.”
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Players, owners settle collusion charges
September 30, 2010
NEW YORK (AP)—Baseball players and owners have settled allegations ofpossible collusion against free agents after the 2008 and 2009 season in one ofthe first acts for the union since Michael Weiner took over from Donald Fehr.
Under the deal announced Thursday, players no longer have to file for freeagency but automatically are set free. The exclusive period for teams tonegotiate with their free agent-eligible players was cut from 15 days to five.
The deadline was moved up for clubs to offer salary arbitration to theirformer players who became free agents, as was the deadline for teams to offercontracts for the following season to players on their 40-man rosters.
In addition, teams, players and agents will be restricted in their abilityto conduct free-agent negotiations in the media.
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World Series Game 3 to start earlier
September 30, 2010
NEW YORK (AP)—Game 3 of the World Series is scheduled to begin before 7p.m. on the East Coast, the earliest start since 1987.
Major League Baseball and Fox announced Thursday that the game on Saturday,Oct. 30, will have a first pitch at 6:57 p.m. EDT, an hour earlier than lastyear. The rest of the series will be the same as 2009, with 7:57 starts exceptfor Game 4, which begins after the Sunday afternoon NFL games around 8:20.
First pitches were moved up more than a half-hour last season amid evidencethat longer games were losing viewers in the later innings.
“The changes we made with Fox last year to start the World Series gamesearlier helped increase viewership including more young fans and we areoptimistic that the earlier start time for Saturday’s Game 3 will keep us movingin the same direction,” Commissioner Bud Selig said in a release.
Previously, baseball and network officials had resisted earlier start timesdespite concerns about losing younger viewers, saying the later the game, thehigher the rating—and the greater the revenue. To help offset potentialrevenue losses from the earlier Game 3 start, sponsor Chevrolet is committing toincreased advertising.
“We’ve said over the years that if advertisers were willing to supportearlier starts at prime-time levels, we’d be able to begin games earlier,” FoxSports president Eric Shanks said.
The 6:57 first pitch will be the earliest since Game 6 of the 1987 WorldSeries, a day game.
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Giants win, maintain 2-game West lead
September 30, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Pat Burrell(notes) hit a three-run homer to back Tim Lincecum(notes),and the first-place San Francisco Giants remained two games ahead of San Diegoin the NL West with a 3-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesdaynight.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting … AP – Sep 29, 11:46 pm EDT San Francisco Giants ' Pat… AP – Sep 29, 11:45 pm EDT
San Francisco Giants ' Pat… AP – Sep 29, 11:43 pm EDT
San Francisco Giants ' And… AP – Sep 29, 10:55 pm EDT
Arizona Diamondbacks ' Ste… AP – Sep 29, 10:55 pm EDT
Arizona Diamondbacks starting … AP – Sep 29, 10:52 pm EDT
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The Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 3-0 at home. San Francisco lowered itsmagic number to three to clinch the club’s first division title and playoff spotsince 2003. The Giants and Padres close the season with a three-game series atAT&T Park starting Friday night.
With the Giants trailing 1-0, Burrell connected in the fourth with a driveinto the left-field seats off Ian Kennedy(notes) (9-10).
Lincecum (16-10) struck out 11 in seven innings, the 26th time in his careerhe’s reached double digits for strikeouts.
Padres stay 1 1/2 back in wild-card race
September 30, 2010
SAN DIEGO (AP)—Chris Young and four relievers combined on a four-hitterand the San Diego Padres showed some life in the waning days of the playoffrace, beating the Chicago Cubs 3-0 on Wednesday night to remain 11/2 gamesbehind Atlanta in the NL wild-card race.
Chicago Cubs left fielder Alfo… AP – Sep 30, 12:07 am EDT San Diego Padres ' Luis Du… AP – Sep 30, 12:02 am EDT
Chicago Cubs third baseman Ara… AP – Sep 30, 12:01 am EDT
San Diego Padres ' Ryan Lu… AP – Sep 29, 11:39 pm EDT
San Diego Padres right fielder… AP – Sep 29, 11:04 pm EDT
San Diego Padres right fielder… AP – Sep 29, 10:59 pm EDT
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher … AP – Sep 29, 10:55 pm EDT
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San Diego remained two games behind first-place San Francisco in the NLWest. The Giants beat Arizona 3-1 on Wednesday night.
The Padres won for just the 12th time in 33 games since Aug. 25, when theywere 76-49 and had a 61/2-game lead over the Giants. The Padres had scored atotal of only four runs in losing their previous three games.
Atlanta, which beat Florida 5-1 on Wednesday, is off Thursday while thePadres finish this four-game series. San Diego closes the regular season withthree games at San Francisco.
It was the Padres’ 20th shutout, tying the 2007 club record and matchingPhiladelphia for the major league lead. The Padres retired 17 of the final 18batters.
Padres center fielder Will Venable(notes) made two great catches, including one inwhich he leaped to rob Aramis Ramirez(notes) of a two-run homer to end the third, thencame tumbling down. Even Ramirez forced a smile after watching the catch.Venable, who sat out the previous two games with a sore lower back, made a nicecatch of Alfonso Soriano’s(notes) drive to just in front of the fence leading off thesecond.
Young (2-0) threw five strong innings in his third start back from thedisabled list. He allowed three hits while striking out six and walking two. Hewalked Kosuke Fukudome(notes) leading off the game and gave up a single to StarlinCastro(notes), then retired the side. He allowed only three baserunners the rest of theway.
Young won San Diego’s second game of the season, April 6 at Arizona, butwent on the disabled list six days later with a strained right shoulder. Aftermaking three rehab starts, he returned on Sept. 18 in a game at St. Louis.
The 6-foot-10 Young is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA since returning. In four startsthis season, he has a 0.20 ERA.
Young is the only Padres’ pitcher to win a postseason game since 1998. Withthe Padres trailing the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 in the 2006 division series, hethrew 6 2-3 shutout innings in Game 3 at Busch Stadium as the Padres won 3-1.The Padres were eliminated the next day.
Heath Bell(notes) pitched the ninth for his 45th save in 48 chances, and his 32ndstraight.
Chase Headley(notes) hit an RBI single in the second. Ryan Ludwick(notes) doubled leadingoff the fourth, was sacrificed by Yorvit Torrealba(notes) and scored on Randy Wells’(notes)wild pitch. Luis Durango(notes) pinch-hit for Young leading off the fifth and walked,stole second, then scored on David Eckstein’s(notes) double down the left-field line.
Wells (8-14) allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings, walked fourand struck out two.
NOTES: It was only the fourth road loss in 18 games since Cubs interimmanager Mike Quade took over for Lou Piniella. … The Padres play their finalhome game of the regular season on Thursday, with Jon Garland(notes) scheduled to startagainst Chicago’s Tom Gorzelanny(notes).
Jays win in Gaston’s final home game
September 30, 2010
TORONTO (AP)—Cito Gaston’s slugging Blue Jays gave him an appropriategoodbye.
Aaron Hill(notes) hit a three-run homer, John Buck(notes) and Travis Snider(notes) added solodrives and the Blue Jays gave their retiring manager a winning send-off in hishome finale, beating the New York Yankees 8-4 on Wednesday night.
“What a way to go out,” said Gaston, who was showered with beer and waterby his players after the game.
The struggling Yankees, who have lost six of eight, remained a half-gamebehind Tampa Bay in the AL East race. The Rays lost 2-0 to Baltimore.
Alex Rodriguez(notes) homered for the Yankees, giving him 13 straight years with 30home runs and 100 RBIs.
Toronto leads baseball with 247 home runs, the fifth-highest season total inmajor league history. Seattle hit a record 264 in 1997.
Hill drove in four runs as the Blue Jays won for the sixth time in sevengames. The Yankees, already assured a playoff spot, saw Javier Vazquez(notes) (10-10)get tagged for seven runs and 10 hits in 4 2-3 innings.
“I had nothing,” Vazquez said. “I didn’t feel like my pitches were sharpat all.”
Brett Cecil(notes) (14-7) allowed three runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings to winhis third straight outing. He is 11-2 with a 3.47 ERA in 15 starts against ALEast opponents.
Jason Frasor(notes) worked 1 2-3 innings and Shawn Camp(notes) pitched the eighth forToronto. Kevin Gregg(notes) came on after the first two batters reached against JesseCarlson(notes) in the ninth. Gregg gave up an RBI grounder to Rodriguez, then gotRobinson Cano(notes) to fly to center for the final out.
Rodriguez has 123 RBIs. His 14 seasons with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs arethe most in major league history.
“It feels good,” Rodriguez said. “You strive to be consistent everyyear.”
Hank Aaron holds the record with 15 seasons with at least 30 home runs.Rodriguez and Barry Bonds are tied for second with 14.
Gaston was honored in a 30-minute pregame celebration featuring formerplayers George Bell, Joe Carter, Pat Hentgen and Devon White. Tears rolled downhis cheeks as he thanked the fans for their support, and the crowd of 33,143gave him several standing ovations.
“I was certainly trying to hold it back but I think all the differentthings that were said out there, you just can’t hold that back after a while,”Gaston said. “I was just feeling that you try to do the best job you can at alltimes, but when you find out that you touched that many people’s lives, and it’sall for the good, how can you hold it back?”
Outfielder Jose Bautista(notes), who has flourished under Gaston and leads themajors with 52 home runs, said he enjoyed the outpouring of gratitude.
“It shows he’s a loved man in this town,” Bautista said. “He brought twochampionships to this city. He’s an icon in Toronto baseball. It was greatseeing all the support he was getting from the fans and the love there is forhim here. It was awesome.”
The first black manager to win the World Series, Gaston guided the Blue Jaysto consecutive championships in 1992 and 1993. He managed Toronto through 1997,was hitting coach in 2000 and 2001 and returned as manager in June 2008.
Toronto star Vernon Wells(notes) complimented Gaston on his trademark mustacheduring the speeches. After the ceremony ended, many Blue Jays and coaches usedeye black to draw fake mustaches on their faces.
Most players found the eye black uncomfortable on their upper lip and wipedit off after an inning or two, but Snider stuck with it longest.
“He had a home run and then another hit,” Bautista said. “He was rollingwith it.”
The Blue Jays’ total home attendance for the season was 1,625,555. That’stheir lowest total since 1982, when they drew 1,275,978.
Once the game began, Snider got the Blue Jays rolling with a leadoff driveto right in the first, his 13th and second in as many games.
Buck hit his 20th homer in the second, becoming the sixth Toronto player toreach the mark this season. John McDonald followed with a double, moved to thirdon a wild pitch and scored on Snider’s single.
Toronto added one in the fourth when Hill scored on McDonald’s grounder,then pulled away in the fifth when Hill hit his 26th home run.
Hill’s drive spelled the end for Vazquez, who started in place of AndyPettitte after New York clinched a playoff berth by beating Toronto 6-1 onTuesday.
Vazquez was disappointed not to do more to make a case for his inclusion onthe playoff roster.
“Today was an important day for me personally and it didn’t go well,”Vazquez said.
The Yankees chased Cecil with a three-run sixth. Rodriguez homered andFrancisco Cervelli and Greg Golson hit RBI singles. Frasor came on and escaped abases-loaded jam by getting Nick Swisher to ground into a double play.
Hill made it 8-3 with an RBI single off Joba Chamberlain in the seventh.
NOTES: 3B Rodriguez made a throwing error in the seventh, his first errorsince July 16 against Tampa Bay. … Yankees manager Joe Girardi went over toshake Gaston’s hand before batting practice. … Pettitte and A.J. Burnett willstart at Boston on Friday and Saturday, Girardi said. The starter for Sunday’sseason finale has not been announced. … Bautista, Wells, Hill, Adam Lind andLyle Overbay are the other Blue Jays with 20 or more homers.
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