Blue Jays complete sweep of Yankees, take AL East lead

George Springer hit two homers and drove in four runs as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting New York Yankees 8-5 Thursday night to complete a four-game series sweep.

Springer had four homers in the series as Toronto moved into first place in the American League East, one game ahead of the Yankees.

Addison Barger added three hits with a homer and two RBIs and Nathan Lukes had three hits and two RBIs.

Trent Grisham hit a solo homer for the Yankees. Jasson Dominguez added four hits.

Toronto scored once in the first against Clarke Schmidt. Springer walked and came home on Barger's double.

Grisham led off the third against Chris Bassitt (8-4) with a homer to left center on a cutter.

The Blue Jays regained the lead in their third. Lukes led off with a double to right and Springer homered to center.

The Yankees tied the game in the fourth. Dominguez lined a triple to the gap in left center and scored on Anthony Volpe's single. Austin Wells doubled and Volpe scored from third on a wild pitch.

Clayton Beeter (0-1) took over in fourth for Schmidt, who allowed three runs, four hits and two walks with one strikeout and was removed with right forearm tightness.

Beeter walked Will Wagner, who took second on Davis Schneider's single. After Leo Jimenez's sacrifice, Lukes finished a 14-pitch at-bat with a two-run double past third base to give the Blue Jays a 5-3 lead.

Barger led off the home fifth with a homer to right center on a hanging slider.

Braydon Fisher replaced Bassitt in the sixth after a two-out walk to Grisham. Bassitt allowed three runs, eight hits and three walks with nine strikeouts.

Aaron Judge led off the seventh with an infield single, took second on Cody Bellinger's single and scored on Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s double off the left-field wall. After Dominguez struck out, Chad Green replaced Fisher. Green retired Volpe on a groundout, but Bellinger scored on the play to trim the deficit to 6-5. Wells drew a walk to put runners on the corners, but Green induced pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton to ground out to end the threat.

Judge was walked intentionally with two out and no one on base in the eighth and southpaw Justin Bruihl replaced Green and fanned Bellinger.

Springer hit a two-run homer off Luke Weaver in the home eighth.

Jeff Hoffman pitched around a double in the ninth to earn his 21st save.

--Field Level Media