By Canadian Press

Judge hits fourth homer of the series to lead Yankees over Blue Jays 4-2

May 18, 2023 | 8:03 PM

TORONTO — Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe hit home runs and Yankees starter Nestor Cortes worked into the seventh inning as New York defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Thursday night at Rogers Centre.

Judge belted a no-doubt two-run blast off Jose Berrios in the first inning after Gleyber Torres led off the game with a single.

It was the 12th homer of the season for the Yankees slugger and sixth in his last six games. Volpe tacked on an insurance run in the ninth inning with a solo shot that hit the left-field foul screen.

Cortes (4-2) gave up a solo homer to Bo Bichette in the opening frame and departed after issuing a leadoff walk to Whit Merrifield in the seventh.

Ryan Weber, Albert Abreu and Ron Marinaccio — with his first save — worked in relief for the visitors, who won for the eighth time in 11 games. The Blue Jays have dropped three of four.

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Bichette’s homer was his ninth of the season. He had three of Toronto’s six hits.

Berrios (3-4) was quick to settle in after the Judge blast, retiring 12 of the next 13 batters he faced.

He issued a leadoff walk to Volpe in the fifth and stayed in the game after being hit in the lower leg by a comebacker. Aaron Hicks reached on the play but Torres grounded into a double-play to end the threat.

Judge nearly hit another homer in the sixth inning but a video review determined it was only a double.

The ball hit the top of the wall in centre field and bounced back into play. Judge, who’s on a six-game hitting streak, was left stranded.

New York (26-20) padded its lead in the seventh when Hicks drove in Oswaldo Cabrera, who led off the inning with a double. Berrios was replaced by Yimi Garcia, who fanned Judge with runners on the corners.

In the seventh, Danny Jansen greeted Weber with a single and Alejandro Kirk walked to load the bases.

Brandon Belt hit a shallow flyout before pinch-hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. brought home Merrifield with a sacrifice fly. George Springer lined out to end the inning.

Reliever Nate Pearson pitched a clean eighth inning for Toronto (25-19) before giving up Volpe’s seventh homer of the year in the ninth.

Berrios allowed three earned runs, six hits and a walk while striking out eight. Cortes fanned six and gave up five hits, a walk and two earned runs.

Announced attendance was 33,290 and the game took two hours 29 minutes to play.

SORE KNEE

Guerrero was held out of the starting lineup for a second straight night due to a sore right knee.

The first baseman was hurt while fielding a bunt on Tuesday night and is considered day-to-day.

COMING UP

The Blue Jays will continue their 10-day, 10-game homestand Friday night with the opener of a three-game weekend set against the Baltimore Orioles.

Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (5-0, 3.89 earned-run average) was scheduled to start for the Blue Jays against right-hander Kyle Gibson (4-3, 4.67).

The Yankees will wrap their seven-game road trip with a three-game set in Cincinnati.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2023.

Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press