TORONTO — Pinch-hitter Carlos Beltran hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning and the New York Yankees held on to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Friday night.
The homer against right-handed reliever Aaron Sanchez (6-5) capped a four-run eighth for the Yankees, who ended the Blue Jays’ 11-game winning streak.
New York (63-51) regained a half-game lead over second-place Toronto (64-53) in the American League East.
Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova (5-4) overcame a three-run third inning for the victory. Nova allowed five hits, one walk and three runs in seven innings. He also hit two batters and struck out three.
Blue Jays left-hander David Price allowed 11 hits, no walks and three runs in 7 1/3 innings. He struck out six.
Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira and catcher Brian McCann singled with one out in the eighth and third baseman Chase Headley hit an RBI double. Sanchez replaced Price before Beltran, batting for right fielder Chris Young, hit a 1-2 pitch to right center for his 11th homer of the season to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead.
Yankees right-hander Dellin Betances pitched the eighth and left-hander Andrew Miller worked the ninth to pick up his 26th save of the season.
Cardinals 3, Marlins 1
ST. LOUIS — Jaime Garcia was the model of efficiency Friday night.
Throwing just 96 pitches over 8 1/3 innings, Garcia piloted the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium.
Garcia (5-4) scattered six hits and allowed an unearned run, walking one and fanning six. He missed the strike zone with only 27 pitches and never ran a three-ball count on any hitter until walking first baseman Casey McGehee in the ninth.
Miami scored when a fielding error by right fielder Jason Heyward on a single by center fielder Cole Gillespie brought left fielder Derek Dietrich home from second, but closer Trevor Rosenthal picked up the last two outs for his 36th save in 38 chances.
Tom Koehler (8-10) was a tough-luck loser for Miami, yielding only five hits and two runs in seven solid innings with a walk and two strikeouts.
First baseman Mark Reynolds and third baseman Matt Carpenter gave Garcia some late insurance. Reynolds lined an RBI single in the seventh for a 2-0 St. Louis lead, and Carpenter led off the eighth with his 18th homer, a 419-foot shot to left-center off reliever Mike Dunn.
Pirates 3, Mets 2 (10 innings)
NEW YORK — Right fielder Gregory Polanco’s 10th-inning RBI single snapped a tie Friday night and the Pittsburgh Pirates went on to beat the New York Mets 3-2 in a battle of National League playoff contenders at Citi Field.
The Mets had their four-game winning streak snapped. New York was trying to go 12 games over .500 for the first time since the final day of the 2008 season.
Pirates catcher Chris Stewart led off the 10th by singling off right-hander Bobby Parnell (1-2). Pinch-hitter Francisco Cervelli followed with a single on a full-count pitch as pinch-runner Starling Marte raced to third.
Polanco singled on the next pitch to chase Parnell. Cervelli and Marte advanced a base on a groundout by second baseman Neil Walker and third baseman Aramis Ramirez followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Cervelli with what proved to be a valuable insurance run.
Right-hander Arquimedes Caminero (3-1) allowed one hit in the ninth to earn the win.
Red Sox’ Castillo injured
Boston Red Sox right fielder Rusney Castillo left Friday night’s game against the Seattle Mariners after fouling a ball off his left foot.
Castillo, who hit a two-run homer and lined a single as the Red Sox built a 9-1 lead through three innings, was injured with one out in the fourth.
After receiving medical attention on the field, Castillo struck out and was limping as he moved to the dugout. When Boston took the field in the fifth, Alejandro De Aza entered the game in left field, with Jackie Bradley Jr. moving to right.
Castillo is batting .339 (19-for-56) with 11 RBIs in 16 games since being recalled from Triple-A.
Boston won the game 14-1.