Blue Jays beat Yankees 8-5, overcome Judge's 40th home run as Torres pulled after 3 innings

NEW YORK (AP) — Ernie Clement had three early RBIs off faltering Marcus Stroman, and the Toronto Blue Jays overcame Aaron Judge’s major league-leading 40th home run to beat the Yankees 8-5 Friday night and stop New York’s five-game winning streak.

“He’s an aggressive hitter and he’s swinging early,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He’s doing a good job of recognizing that and kind of getting pitches a little bit more in the zone.”

Judge’s two-run, first-inning homer off Kevin Gausman, a 477-footer drive halfway up the left-field bleachers, gave him a big league-best 101 RBIs.

“If it came with a win tonight that have been pretty sweet,” Judge said.

He became just the fourth Yankees player with three or more 40-homer seasons, joining Babe Ruth (11), Lou Gehrig (five) and Mickey Mantle (four). The drive was the third-longest of Judge’s career and the second-longest in the major leagues this season behind Jorge Soler’s 478-footer for San Francisco at Colorado on July 21. Judge has six homers against Gausman.

“He’s ridiculous,” Schneider said. "His numbers, you look up, it’s a joke."

Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres was removed by manager Aaron Boone after three innings for not hustling.

Torres did not run hard out of the batter’s box on his second-inning drive off the left-field wall, thinking it was a home run, and reached only first. That cost the Yankees a run when he was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Anthony Volpe’s two-out double into the left-field corner in the second.

“I just felt like I need to in that spot,” Boone said.

Torres agreed with Boone's decision

“I feel really sorry," Torres said.

Stroman (7-6) gave up a season-high seven runs and eight hits in a season-low 2 2/3 innings. He was 5-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 12 starts through May and is 2-4 with a 6.32 ERA in 10 starts since.

“Loss is definitely solely on me. Just didn't execute. Just out of rhythm mechanically. Had no feel for my pitches," Stroman said. “Just to put us in that position is very disappointing and unacceptable.”

Gausman allowed five runs — four earned — and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.

“His command wasn’t great tonight, but he made big pitches,” Schneider said.

In a game that started after an 86-minute rain delay, Vladimir Guerrero hit an RBI single and Clement a two-run double in the first. Spencer Horwitz and Clement had run-scoring singles in the four-run third for a 5-2 lead and Brian Serven, a backup catcher who had been 1 for 21 this season, greeted Michael Tonkin with a two-run single for a 7-2 advantage.

Anthony Volpe hit a two-run homer in the fifth and New York closed to 7-5 when center fielder Daulton Varsho bobbled Austin Wells’ single for an error that allowed Juan Soto to score. Génesis Cabrera stranded a pair of runners when he struck out Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Horwitz singled in a run against Tim Hill in the sixth, and Brendon Little (1-1) stranded two more runners when Soto hit an inning-ending groundout in the bottom half.

Chad Green got three outs for his eighth save in eight chances.

Torres was thrown out on Volpe’s double when left fielder Joey Loperfido threw to shortstop Leo Jiménez, whose relay to Serven sailed to the third-base side of the plate but left the catcher time to make a swipe tag.

George Springer bruised his left shin on a foul ball in the sixth inning and was replaced in right field in the bottom of the seventh. He was going to have a scan.

"I think it’ll be all right,” Schneider said.

Reliever Enyel De Los Santos, acquired from San Diego on Tuesday, worked around a double and hit batter in the seventh inning of his Yankees debut.

SOCCER STARS

Retired soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimović threw the ceremonial first pitch from the rubber, then exchanged a hug with Yankees captain Aaron Judge. ... Judge had a Manchester City jersey draped on his clubhouse chair signed: “Aaron, Best wishes, Erling Haaland.” Manchester City played a preseason friendly at Yankee Stadium last weekend, when the Yankees were in Boston.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: C Alejandro Kirk was out of the starting lineup for the second game in a row since getting hit on the left elbow by a 98 mph pitch from Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes. ... LHP Ricky Tiedemann had Tommy John surgery Tuesday.

Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (body fatigue) threw a bullpen session Friday and intends to rejoin the rotation for Sunday’s series finale after missing one turn.

UP NEXT

Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón (11-7, 4.34) starts Saturday against Toronto RHP José Berríos (9-8, 3.93). Rodón has won consecutive starts after going 0-5 in his previous six. Berríos beat the Yankees on June 27, allowing two runs and two hits over seven innings — including Trent Grisham’s two-run homer. Toronto took a 5-0, first-inning lead off Rodón, who gave up a pair of three-run homers to Springer.

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Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr., left, and Steward Berroa, right, react after winning a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Toronto Blue Jays' Leo Jiménez, left, and Steward Berroa, right, celebrate after winning a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Retired professional soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimović throws the first pitch before a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Yankees' Gleyber Torres, right, is tagged out at home plate by Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brian Serven, left, during the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. stands on the field before a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts after flying out during the second inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates after hitting a home run which also scored Juan Soto during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates hitting a home run to score Juan Soto during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Toronto Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Toronto Blue Jays' Brian Serven, right, celebrates with Toronto Blue Jays first base coach Mark Budzinski, left, after hitting a single which led to Spencer Horwitz and Davis Schneider scoring during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Toronto Blue Jays third base coach Carlos Febles, left, celebrates with Spencer Horwitz, center, after Horwitz ran to third on a single hit by Daulton Varsho during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

UDINE, Italy (AP) — The city of Udine is on high alert as Italy prepares to host Israel in a competitive soccer match on Monday.

The Nations League match is being played among the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East which has spread to Lebanon after more than a year-long war in Gaza.

It is the first match Israel has played outside neutral Hungary this year. After the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7 last year, the national soccer team played in Kosovo and Andorra last November.

All Israel matches since then have been played in Hungary, including last month’s away game against Belgium in the Nations League after the Belgian soccer federation refused to host the game for security reasons.

“We are going to play this match with the hope of convincing ever more people of the wrongness of war,” Italy coach Luciano Spalletti said. “There are many Israelis who don’t want it and we must convince ever more people that this is something that has to stop.”

Fewer than 12,000 tickets have been sold for Monday's match — less than half the capacity of the 25,000-seater Stadio Friuli — amid stringent security measures.

Areas around the stadium were blocked off 48 hours before kick-off and declared a “Red Zone” and only fans with tickets can pass through the tall metal barriers. Supporters have been strongly advised to arrive early because of rigorous checks.

Hundreds of extra police officers have also been called up from surrounding areas.

There is a pro-Palestine demonstration planned for 5 p.m. local time in the city center — just under four hours before the match kicks off — with organisers expecting around 4,000 people to attend.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Italy's head coach Luciano Spalletti during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italy and Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy, on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)