NEW YORK – Jay Bruce celebrated his 34th birthday by scoring his first hit and RBI in a Yankees uniform, leading his new club to a 5-3 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon at the Yankee. Stadium.
Bruce delivered a two-run single to reliever Tim Mayza in the sixth inning, helping the Bombers to their first win of the youth season, and Gary Sanchez homered for the second time in as many games, joining Elston Howard (1963). as the only Yankees wide receivers to have a home run in their first two games of a season.
Corey Kluber limited Toronto to two runs (one earned) and five hits in more than four innings in his Yankees debut. The two-time Cy Young Award winner navigated around three walks, a hitter hitter and a wild pitch, striking out five on a 74 pitch effort. After Marcus Semien’s solo homer chased after Kluber, Jonathan Loaisiga was strong in relief, retiring all six batters he faced and striking out three.
New York had three runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings against Toronto starter Ross Stripling. DJ LeMahieu hit an infield single to score runs in the second inning, Sanchez threw a 365-foot line to the left-field seats in the fourth. Aaron Hicks also hit a run on an infield single with the bases loaded in the fourth, a charged run to Stripling.