Jays, Yankees post-season clinchers

* The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays have met 546 times including some memorable games which decide post-season berths. .... 2014 Canadians drafted … Canadians in the Minors … Canadians in College 2015 Canadian draft list Letters of Intent

 

By Bob Elliott

If the Blue Jays are going to make post-season play for the first time since 1993, they’ll probably have to win at least one game at Yankee Stadium. Currently the Jays have a 16-game losing Stadium in the Bronx. The Yankees finished a three-game series Wednesday night at the Rogers Centre, with the Jays winning two of three. There were some decisive games in the first 546 meetings (the Jays are 237-309 lifetime against the Yanks) between the two ... like

1. Sept. 30, 1995, SkyDome, 49,233. Yankees right-hander Scott Kamieniecki pitched a complete-game four hitter in a 6-1 to clinch the wild-card berth, the Yankees first post-season berth since 1981. As Gerald Williams caught Shawn Green’s liner for the final out, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner hugged Blue Jays president Paul Beeston in a sky box on the 300 level. Paul O’Neill homered off Jays lefty Al Leiter, while Mike Stanley and Don Mattingly double. Paul Molitor had a pair of hits for the Jays.

2. Oct 5, 1985, Exhibition Stadium, 44,608. Doyle Alexander, released by the Yankees earlier in the season, pitched a complete-game five hitter as the Jays beat New York 5-1 to wrap up the AL East. Ernie Whitt, Lloyd Moseby and Willie Upshaw all hit solo homers off Yanks starter Joe Cowley. Garth Iorg and Tony Fernandez added two hits apiece. Ron Hassey flied to left field, George Bell caught the ball and sank to his knees and the expansion team had won for the first time. Dave Winfield knocked in the only Yankees run.

3. 2010, Sept. 28, Rogers Centre, 18,193. CC Sabathia worked 8 1/3 innings allowing one run for his 21st win in a 6-1 win over the Jays to clinch a playoff berth. The same night the Tampa Bay Rays, half a game up on the Yankees, blanked the Baltimore Orioles 5-0 to also clinch a spot. Mariano Rivera recorded the final two outs. Kyle Drabek allowed three runs in six innings and was charged with the loss. Brad (his contract sold by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Oakland A’s for $1 US this week) Mills pitched 1 1/3 innings allowing two runs. Brett Gardner tripled, Alex Rodriguez knocked in a pair of runs, while Derek Jeter scored three runs and drove in another. Travis Snider homered off Sabathia.

4. Oct. 4, 1985, Exhibition Stadium, 47,686. The Jays were three outs away. Then, Tom Henke retired Mike Pagliarulo on a fly ball and struck out Willie Randolph. One out to go. Butch Wynegar homered to tie the score and it was as if some one hit the mute button. Bobby Meacham singled and Henke then walked Rickey Henderson. Bobby Cox went to lefty Steve Davis to face Don Mattingly, who popped up to centre and Lloyd Moseby dropped the ball. Fernandez had three hits for the Jays.

5. Sept. 30, 2012, Rogers Centre, 31,418. The Jays had a 5-1 lead in the fifth against Phil Hughes, but the Yanks rallied to tie on a Henderson Alvarez wild pitch, Ichiro Suzuki’s fly ball, Robinson Cano’s run-scoring double against Steve Delabar and an Aaron Loup wild pitch. Darren Oliver walked Curtis Granderson leading off the seventh, Raul Ibanez singled, Russell Martin bunted the runners over and Eduardo Nunez drove in the go-ahead run as the Yanks clinched no worse than a wild-card berth along with the Orioles as the Texas beat the Los Angeles Angels in the second game of a doubleheader. Eric Chavez homered for the Yankees while Brett Lawrie had three hits, including a two-run homer and Rajai Davis had a pair of hits.