NEW YORK – Jay Bruce celebrated his 34th birthday by collecting his first hit and RBIs in a Yankees uniform, leading his new club to a 5-3 victory over the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
Bruce delivered a single reliever Tim Mayza in two races in the sixth inning, helping the Bombers get off to their first win of the young season, and Gary Sánchez homed for the second time in so many games, joining Elston Howard (1963) as the only ones Yankees catchers to homer in the first two matches of the season.
Corey Kluber held Toronto for two runs (one deserved) and five strokes in more than four starts on his Yankees debut. The two-time Cy Young Award winner sailed around three walks, one hitter and one wild shot, hitting five in an effort of 74 shots. After Marcus Semien’s solo homer chased Kluber, Jonathan Loaisiga was relieved, removing all six batters he faced and eliminating three.
New York managed three runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings against Toronto title holder Ross Stripling. DJ LeMahieu made a great shot on the infield in the second round, Sánchez launched a 365-foot course to the left field seats in the fourth inning. Aaron Hicks also crashed in a race with a base field loaded with bases in the fourth, a race charged to Stripling.