Hicks' bat, glove lead Yanks past hot-hitting Blue Jays
NEW YORK — Aaron Hicks hit a go-ahead two-run homer and made jumping catch in his first left-field start in four years, leading the New York Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 on Tuesday night.
New York scored first for the first time in five games this season when Hicks drove a 2-0 slider from Yusei Kikuchi (0-1) into the right-center field seats in the second inning, Hicks' first home run since last April 30.
Nestor Cortes and four relievers combined on a five-hitter, quieting a Blue Jays' offense that produced 23 runs and 38 hits in the first four games.
Hicks, who didn't play after May 12 last year because of wrist injury that needed surgery, had not started in left since Sept. 29, 2017. With two outs and none on in the second, the Yankees moved second baseman Gleyber Torres to near the left-field line with Matt Chapman at the plate as part of a four-man outfield that saw Hick stationed in left-center.
Hicks took a step in and made a slight jump for the catch.
Then in the bottom half, the switch-hitter's drive from the right side of the plate ended the Yankees' 15-inning scoreless streak.
Cortes allowed three hits in 4 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked none. The fastest of his 72 pitches was 93.6 mph.
Clay Holmes (1-0) followed with 1 2/3 hitless innings, Miguel Castro worked around a two-hit error in the seventh and Jonathan Loáisiga needed one pitch to retire Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to strand two in the eighth.
Aroldis Chapman, throwing at up to 100.8 mph struck out two in the ninth.
New York added a run in the fourth when DJ LeMahieu scored from second on a throwing error by catcher Tyler Heineman, whose pickoff attempt sailed over Guerrero at first and into right field.
Giancarlo Stanton hit a 116.2 mph sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Kikuchi, making his Blue Jays debut after signing a $36 million, three-year deal contract, gave up three runs — two earned – and five hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. made a leaping catch on Aaron Judge in front of the fence after Josh Donaldson opened the game with a walk. Donaldson was thrown out at the plate by right fielder Teoscar Hernández's one-hop throw on Anthony Rizzo's double.
ON THE FARM
SS Anthony Volpe, the 30th overall pick in the 2019 amateur draft, was 0 for 3 with three strikeouts in his home debut with the Double-A Somerset Patriots of the Eastern League. He is off to a 3 for 15 start,
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: C Danny Jansen (strained left oblique) will be out "multiple weeks" manager Charlie Montoyo said. ... RHP Ryan Borucki (strained right hamstring) threw 30 pitches in a simulated game at the spring training complex in Dunedin. Florida. ... RHP Nate Pearson (mononucleosis) threw from 90 feet.
YANKEES: An MRI on LHP Jordan Montgomery's knee came back clean and he is expected to make his next start Friday in Baltimore. Montgomery was hit on a knee by Xander Bogaerts' 103 mph comebacker Sunday.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: RHP José Berríos (0-0, 108.00 ERA) retired one of the seven batters he faced, allowing four runs and three hits Friday against Texas. He threw 34 pitches in the shortest outing of his career.
Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (0-0, 6.75) allowed all three runs before getting a single out and pitched four innings Friday against Boston. "I just had a lot of adrenaline and kind of spun my tires there for a minute, so I needed to find the rhythm and tempo to kind of stay within myself a little," Cole said Tuesday.