NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Higashioka was as stunned as anybody.

”It is simply form of loopy how baseball works typically,” the profession .169 hitter mentioned. ”One minute, you may’t hit the ball to avoid wasting your life, after which the following recreation you play and pop three over the fence.”

Higashioka slugged a career-high three house runs, DJ LeMahieu linked twice and resurgent New York hit a season-best seven homers in one other Bronx air present, thumping the Toronto Blue Jays 13-2 on Wednesday night time.

Luke Voit lofted a three-run drive for his main league-leading 19th homer and Clint Frazier added a solo shot because the Yankees gained their seventh straight recreation following a 5-15 slide. New York moved 1 half video games forward of Toronto for second place within the AL East, with the highest two groups ensured spots within the expanded postseason that begins in lower than two weeks.

LeMahieu, Voit and Frazier additionally linked Tuesday – Voit homered twice – when New York hit six house runs and pummeled Toronto 20-6. It is the primary time the Yankees have hit six homers in consecutive video games.

”The arrogance is rising with each run we’re placing on the board,” Frazier mentioned.

Gerrit Cole (6-3) had one other overpowering begin for New York, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth. The fitting-hander accomplished seven innings of three-hit ball, putting out eight and strolling two for his 100th profession victory. He additionally took a no-hitter into the fifth in his earlier begin – a seven-inning, two-hit shutout towards Baltimore within the opener of a doubleheader Friday.

Aaron Decide was activated from the injured checklist however wasn’t a lot assist, going hitless with three strikeouts. The 2-time All-Star had been out since Aug. 26 after re-aggravating a strained proper calf.

Higashioka had by no means topped three homers in a season however has 4 prior to now six days whereas rising as Cole’s most popular batterymate. The final New York participant with three homers in a recreation was teammate Gary Sanchez on April 7, 2019 at Baltimore.

The 30-year-old Higashioka hit a two-run homer within the third off Tanner Roark (2-2), a solo shot within the sixth towards Jacob Waguespack and one other two-run drive within the seventh off Hector Perez. He matched a profession excessive with 5 RBIs, and his solely out was a drive to the warning monitor within the fourth.

Higashioka was a seventh-round draft decide by New York in 2008, and solely Brett Gardner has been with the group longer. He debuted within the majors in 2017 however has by no means gotten common at-bats, though he is been siphoning enjoying time lately as Sanchez struggles.

Higashioka has caught round for thus lengthy due to his pitch framing, recreation calling and communication – but additionally as a result of New York has all the time thought there was extra in his bat than the numbers confirmed.

”There’s that energy potential that is in there,” supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned. ”And also you noticed it present itself tonight.”

New York is the primary group in main league historical past to have their Nos. 1 and 9 hitters join not less than twice in the identical recreation, based on STATS.

LeMahieu hit his main league-leading fifth leadoff homer and in addition had for a two-run shot within the fourth, his ninth of the season. LeMahieu has 5 profession multihomer video games, together with two this month.

LeMahieu had three hits and lifted his common to .373 as he battles Chicago’s Tim Anderson for the AL batting title.

Jonathan Villar ended Cole’s no-hit bid with a leadoff double within the sixth. Villar later scored on Cole’s wild pitch.

Jonathan Loaisiga relieved Cole and pitched a scoreless eighth in his first look since recovering from an undisclosed sickness. Nick Nelson allowed Joe Panik’s solo homer within the ninth earlier than ending off the five-hitter.

Roark allowed six runs in 4 innings, together with 4 homers.

”That they had my quantity tonight,” he mentioned. ”These first two video games, they’ve had our quantity.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: OF Teoscar Hernandez (left indirect) was activated from the IL however did not play. … RHP Ken Giles was positioned on the 10-day IL with a proper flexor pressure. … RHPs Perez and Waguespack have been known as up from the alternate web site. Perez made his main league debut. … OF Derek Fisher was positioned on the 10-day injured checklist with a proper knee bruise. … LHP Anthony Kay was optioned and added to the taxi squad.

Yankees: LHP James Paxton (left flexor tendon pressure) was transferred to the 45-day injured checklist, ending his season. … Torres (quad) was held out of the lineup for a second straight recreation with tightness that Boone mentioned was minor. Boone mentioned Torres was accessible as a late-game substitute and is predicted to begin Thursday. … Stanton (left hamstring) was held out a day after coming back from the injured checklist as a part of New York’s plan to ease him again into full-time responsibility. Boone expects Stanton to begin Thursday.

UP NEXT

Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka (2-2, 3.16 ERA) closes out the sequence towards Toronto, which hadn’t introduced a starter.

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