TORONTO (AP) — Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ is making a habit of holding his opponents in check.
Jose Bautista had two hits and collected his 800th RBI, Happ worked six innings for his first victory of the season and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 7-2 on Wednesday night.
Happ has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 11 of his past 12 starts.
"The best thing about tonight was being able to make some pitches in big situations," said Happ, who left seven Yankees stranded.
Facing the Yankees for the first time since Aug. 31, 2014, Happ (1-0) allowed one run and seven hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out four.
"I thought he pitched very well against us," Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira said. "He really mixed it up in and out, up and down, kept us off balance."
Brett Cecil worked the seventh, Drew Storen allowed a homer to Teixeira in the eighth and Pat Venditte finished.
Ryan Goins had three hits and two RBIs for the Blue Jays, who had lost five of six.
"You play these teams in your division and you need to beat them," manager John Gibbons said. "That was an important game for us."
Teixeira hit a solo homer, his third, but New York ended a two-game winning streak.
Making his second start of the season, Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda (1-1) allowed three runs, two earned, and five hits in six innings.
"Pretty good offense here so I thought he did a good job," manager Joe Girardi said.
The Blue Jays broke it open with a four-run, bat-around eighth against Ivan Nova. Bautista doubled home a run, Troy Tulowitzki and Goins each hit RBI singles and Russell Martin added a sacrifice fly.
"We were waiting for that kind of inning," Gibbons said. "We did a lot of good things there."
Toronto opened the scoring on a two-out double by Goins in the second. New York tied it in the fifth on an RBI groundout by Aaron Hicks when Josh Donaldson bobbled what might have been an inning-ending double play.
Toronto got two in the fifth and then Teixeira's homer made it 3-2 Blue Jays before Toronto's breakout inning.
Pineda's three walks were the most he'd issued in 42 career starts with the Yankees, snapping his team record streak of starts with two or fewer walks. Mike Mussina walked two or fewer in his final 37 starts with New York.
DOUBLING UP
Six of Toronto's 10 hits were doubles. The Blue Jays had just five doubles in the first eight games of the season
ADDING EXTRA ARMS
The Blue Jays recalled ambidextrous pitcher Venditte from Triple-A Buffalo and designated RHP Arnold Leon for assignment.
SWISHER SIGNS
INF/OF Nick Swisher signed a minor league contract with the Yankees and is expected to join Triple-A Scranton on Thursday. Swisher, who played for the Yankees from 2009 to 2012, was released by Atlanta late in spring training.
CHAPMAN TAKES THE MOUND
Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman worked a perfect inning in his first extended spring training game Wednesday, striking out two of the three batters he faced. Chapman is working out at the Yankees' minor league complex in Florida while serving a 30-game suspension stemming from baseball's new domestic violence policy.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: C Brian McCann (bruised left big toe) was held out of the starting lineup but was available to pinch hit, Girardi said. McCann said he expects to return to the lineup Thursday.
UP NEXT
Yankees: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (0-0, 9.00) makes his second start of the season and his first career start at Rogers Centre in Thursday's series finale. Eovaldi allowed one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings in his lone career start against Toronto last August.
Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (1-0, 5.40) is 9-2 with a 2.66 ERA in 18 career games at Rogers Centre, including 14 starts. He's 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA in five career starts against the Yankees.
