Bautista homer propels Blue Jays past Yankees

TORONTO – Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer, Drew Hutchison won his third straight start and the Toronto Blue Jays avoided a three-game sweep by beating the New York Yankees, 3-1, on Sunday.

The Blue Jays and the division-leading Yankees, separated by a half-game atop the AL East, will meet seven more times before the end of the season. Toronto swept a three-game series at Yankee Stadium last weekend.

New York’s Carlos Beltran had delivered big homers in the first two games of the series. In the finale, however, he helped sparked a Toronto burst in the third inning after losing Troy Tulowitzki’s flyball to right field in the sun.

Initially ruled an error, Tulowitzki was later credited with a two-out double. Josh Donaldson then hit an RBI single and Bautista piled on with his 28th home run for a 3-0 lead.

Bautista’s drive was Toronto’s first home run since Ryan Goins’ three-run shot in the second inning of Thursday’s 4-2 victory over Oakland. The Blue Jays have only had one three-game stretch this season in which they’ve failed to homer.

Hutchison (12-2) improved to 10-1 with a 2.57 ERA in 13 home starts, allowing one run and three hits in 6 2-3 innings.

Toronto starting pitchers have gone 20 straight games without allowing more than three earned runs, extending the team record set Saturday.

Brett Cecil came on after Brian McCann’s double in the seventh and retired Beltran on a flyball.

Aaron Sanchez worked the eighth and Roberto Osuna finished for his 13th save.

Making his third big league start, Yankees right-hander Luis Severino (0-2) struck out a career-best nine in six innings. He allowed three runs and five hits.

Jacoby Ellsbury had two of the three New York hits off Hutchison, including a two-out solo homer in the sixth.