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Dickey looks forward as Blue Jays beat Yankees
Toronto is looking up at the rest of the AL East, and R.A. Dickey thinks the Blue Jays can use this experience to perform better next season.
Dickey pitched into the seventh inning, Jose Reyes sparked Toronto's offense and the Blue Jays snapped a 10-game losing streak against the New York Yankees with a 5-2 victory on Monday night.
Dickey (10-12) allowed two runs, one earned, and six hits in 6 1-3 innings to win for the first time since Aug. 5 at Seattle. The knuckleballer was 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in his three previous starts.
''He gave us just what we needed,'' Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.
It was Dickey's first victory over the Yankees since May 21, 2011, when he played for the New York Mets.
''We're in a place where we're probably evaluating some things and seeing what we can do better and how we can perform better next year,'' Dickey said.
''If we're able to do that, then we're able to take a step forward, if nothing else, from a year that has not gone as expected for anybody,'' Dickey added. ''The real tragedy is if there's no growth out of this but I think that we're headed in the right direction as far as that's concerned.''
Reyes walked and scored in the third, and doubled and scored in Toronto's three-run fifth as the Blue Jays beat the Yankees for just the second time in 14 meetings this season. Toronto had lost 10 straight to its division rival since an 8-4 home win on April 21.
''We just need to finish this one strong so that we go to spring training with a better feeling,'' Reyes said.
Aaron Loup worked 1 1-3 innings, Sergio Santos got one out in the eighth and Casey Janssen finished for his 24th save in 26 chances.
Alex Rodriguez hit his 650th home run, a leadoff drive in the fifth, but the Yankees lost for the ninth time in 13 road games this month. Rodriguez is 10 homers away from tying Willie Mays for fourth on the career list, which would secure a $6 million bonus for the third baseman.
Rodriguez's home run was the 29th allowed by Dickey this season, second only to Oakland's A.J. Griffin. Dickey has given up 20 homers in 14 home starts.
Derek Jeter went hitless in his return to New York's lineup. Jeter, who had been out with a calf injury, finished 0 for 3 with a walk.
''Unfortunately for us, we couldn't figure out the knuckleball,'' Jeter said.
New York right-hander Phil Hughes (4-13) allowed five runs, four earned, and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. He is 0-6 with a 5.84 ERA in his last nine starts.
''I left a lot of sliders over the middle of the plate today,'' Hughes said. ''It didn't really seem like it had the bite that it did in the last couple (of starts).''
New York scratched out a run in the first when Brett Gardner singled, went to second on a passed ball, took third on Jeter's grounder and scored when Dickey couldn't handle Robinson Cano's comebacker.
The Blue Jays tied it in the second on an RBI single by Kevin Pillar, and then took the lead on Edwin Encarnacion's RBI single in the third.
Rodriguez connected in the fifth, but Toronto responded with three in the bottom half, taking advantage of a rare error by Ichiro Suzuki.
Reyes hit a one-out double, Ryan Goins singled and Reyes scored when Suzuki couldn't handle Encarnacion's fly to deep right, with the ball hitting off the heel of his glove.
''If I could have just gone straight home from right field, I would have,'' Suzuki said through a translator. ''I was that embarrassed.''
It was just the third error of the year for Suzuki, who has never had more than five miscues in any of his 13 major league seasons.
''Something you're not going to see very often,'' Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. ''It just looked like he jumped for it and maybe he didn't have to. Maybe he was closer to the wall than he thought.''
Adam Lind followed with an RBI double and Brett Lawrie was intentionally walked to load the bases for Moises Sierra, who chased Hughes with a sacrifice fly. David Huff came on and fanned Josh Thole on three pitches.
NOTES: Rodriguez has 35 home runs at Rogers Centre, the most by any Toronto opponent. ... Blue Jays OF Colby Rasmus (strained left oblique) is still feeling soreness and was unable to resume baseball activities as previously scheduled, Gibbons said. Rasmus has been out since Aug. 12. ... Toronto reinstated Loup from the paternity list and designated RHP Chien-Ming Wang for assignment. ... Blue Jays Triple-A C Sean Ochinko was suspended 50 games after testing positive for amphetamines. ... Musician Paul Simon attended the game.
