| SEASON | CAREER |
| W3 | 24 |
| L5 | 28 |
| G19 | 145 |
| IP87.0 | 460.0 |
| BB32 | 181 |
| SO45 | 230 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W15 | 51 |
| L12 | 35 |
| G29 | 149 |
| IP175.0 | 618.0 |
| BB40 | 197 |
| SO148 | 518 |
A pair of superstars ensured the New York Yankees would begin play Thursday night with sole possession of the AL East lead.
Phil Hughes appears poised and ready to keep them there as he bids to finish a sweep of this three-game series versus the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Yankees (85-63) took a one-half game lead over Baltimore in the East by sweeping Wednesday's doubleheader. Ichiro Suzuki went 7 for 8 in the two games, delivering a go-ahead single in the eighth inning of a 2-1 win in the nightcap and a key catch in a 4-2 victory earlier that afternoon.
"I came in the middle of the season and I always wanted to contribute, wanted to help in this pennant race and today is a great day that I was able to help," said Suzuki, who raised his average 29 points in the twinbill to .317 since being acquired by the Yankees before the trade deadline. "I'm very sad the day is over."Jeter, who was given the first game off to rest his ailing ankle, notched his 200th hit of the season - the eighth of his career - in the first inning of the nightcap. He played shortstop for the first time since Sept. 12, and is hitting .390 (23 for 59) during a 13-game hitting streak.
Suzuki and Jeter will try to maintain their respective offensive surges to back Hughes (15-12, 3.96 ERA), who will try to win his third consecutive start.The right-hander had one of his best outings of the season last Thursday at Fenway Park, scattering five hits while striking out seven in 7 1-3 innings of a 2-0 win over the Red Sox.
"We can't be thinking about scoreboard watching or worrying about every single game," he told the Yankees official website after that victory. "We have to go out and win every game that we control."
This will be the third time this year Hughes will pitch on six days' rest, having gone 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA in the previous two. Hughes had one brutal outing against the Blue Jays - getting roughed up for seven runs and nine hits in an Aug. 12 loss at Rogers Centre - but went 1-1 in the other three starts this year while allowing five runs in 19 1-3 innings.
Toronto (66-81) assured itself of a second straight non-winning season and appears destined for its first losing year since going 75-87 in 2009. The Blue Jays have dropped six of eight and are 23-38 since the All-Star break as they have fallen into the AL East cellar.
Aaron Laffey (3-5, 4.55 ERA) has done little in two starts since rejoining the rotation, allowing five runs and eight hits in 8 1-3 innings without receiving a decision. The left-hander was reached for three runs and four hits in 3 2-3 innings - his shortest start this year - Saturday against Boston.
Laffey lost his only start against the Yankees this year, giving up a three-run homer among five runs overall in 5 2-3 innings of a 5-2 loss Aug. 11. He had a relief stint of 2 2-3 innings Aug. 27, serving up a two-run homer to Nick Swisher as his only hit allowed.
Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion , who has team highs of 40 homers and 102 RBIs, is 8 for 22 with four doubles and one homer versus Hughes but is uncertain for this game after sitting out Wednesday's doubleheader with a sore big toe. Shortstop Yunel Escobar will complete his three-game suspension Thursday for wearing eye-black stickers containing a homophobic slur written in Spanish.
Yankees closer Rafael Soriano likely will not be available after throwing 32 pitches to record his 41st and 42nd saves Wednesday.
AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPS
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| J.P. Arencibia | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Jose Bautista | 12 | .250 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | .357 | .607 | .250 |
| Rajai Davis | 5 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Edwin Encarnacion | 11 | .273 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .333 | .697 | .364 |
| Yunel Escobar | 4 | .500 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .600 | 1.100 | .500 |
| Ben Francisco | 2 | .500 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .667 | 1.167 | .500 |
| Kelly Johnson | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Adam Lind | 22 | .182 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | .217 | .626 | .409 |
| Jeff Mathis | 5 | .200 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .200 | .600 | .400 |
| Eric Thames | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Omar Vizquel | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Robinson Cano | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .400 | 1.067 | .667 |
| Eric Chavez | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Brett Gardner | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | .000 |
| Curtis Granderson | 5 | .400 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .500 | .900 | .400 |
| Raul Ibanez | 9 | .222 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | .300 | .856 | .556 |
| Derek Jeter | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .500 | .833 | .333 |
| Andruw Jones | 7 | .143 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .250 | .393 | .143 |
| Russell Martin | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Jayson Nix | 6 | .167 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .167 | .334 | .167 |
| Alex Rodriguez | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .250 | .250 | .000 |
| Nick Swisher | 5 | .200 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .429 | .629 | .200 |
| Mark Teixeira | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | .000 |
 Toronto Blue Jays |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| September 16, 2012 | Edwin Encarnacion | Day-to-Day | Sore right big toe |
| September 04, 2012 | J.A. Happ | 15-Day DL | Fractured right foot |
| August 27, 2012 | Henderson Alvarez | Day-to-Day | Left game - left shin contusion |
| August 27, 2012 | Aaron Laffey | Day-to-Day | Left game - left calf contusion |
| August 26, 2012 | Jose Bautista | 15-Day DL | Left wrist inflammation |
| August 23, 2012 | David Cooper | 15-Day DL | Upper back soreness |
 New York Yankees |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| September 19, 2012 | Dellin Betances | 60-Day DL | Right shoulder injury |
| September 09, 2012 | Mark Teixeira | Day-to-Day | Strained left calf |
| September 02, 2012 | Curtis Granderson | Day-to-Day | Right hamstring tendinitis |
| August 27, 2012 | Mark Teixeira | Day-to-Day | Strained left calf |
| August 22, 2012 | Ivan Nova | 15-Day DL | Right shoulder tightness |
| August 22, 2012 | Ivan Nova | 15-Day DL | Right shoulder tightness |
NEW YORK (AP) -- Ichiro Suzuki is streaking, and so are the New York Yankees .
Suzuki homered to start a comeback, then hit a go-ahead, two-run double in a seven-run fourth inning capped by Nick Swisher 's grand slam as the Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-7 Thursday night to open a one-game AL East lead over idle Baltimore.
After struggling for much of the summer, the Yankees have won five in a row, their longest winning string since June 23-27.
"Having this momentum come at this point in the season, I think that's the Yankees," Suzuki said through a translator. "And I think that's what makes this team special."
Acquired from Seattle on July 23, Suzuki is hitting .321 since joining New York, including 9 for 12 with three doubles, a homer, four RBIs and four steals in the three-game sweep of the Blue Jays. He's batting .362 against lefties.
"Every time he comes up, the crowd gets electric," Swisher said.
Suzuki thinks he knows why.
"You could say that I'm surprised, but maybe when I was with the Mariners in right field, I did try and communicate with those fans in right field, maybe make some friends," he said.
While the Yankees have won seven of their last eight, so have the second-place Orioles. New York, which led the division by 10 games in mid-July, hosts Oakland this weekend while Baltimore is at Boston.
"When we go on these rolls a little bit, it just kind of feels like everyone just mellows out. It's real quiet in here. It's real chill. It's not as hectic," Swisher said.
New York was down 2-0 before Suzuki's solo home run in the third. He hooked a based-loaded double to right in the fourth on an 0-2 pitch, giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead and extending Suzuki's spurt to nine hits in 10 at-bats.
That chased starter Aaron Laffey (3-6), and reliever Brad Lincoln loaded the bases with a walk to Jayson Nix . Derek Jeter followed with an RBI single for a 14-game hitting streak, and Swisher sent a 96 mph fastball into the right-field seats for his seventh career slam and third this season.
"I feel that we're getting that inner confidence back that we lost there for a little bit," Swisher said. "Regardless of whatever the situation is, whatever team we're playing, we feel like we're going to go out there and get the job done."
Phil Hughes (16-12) won his third straight start, allowing four runs and four hits in five innings with nine strikeouts. Hughes struck out Kelly Johnson with the bases loaded to end the third, then tied a major league record in the fourth by striking out four batters: J.P. Arencibia, Adeiny Hechavarria , Anthony Gose and Brett Lawrie . Hechavarria reached on Russell Martin 's passed ball.
Backed by an 8-2 lead, Hughes also walked three and hit Moises Sierra with the bases loaded in the third. He allowed an RBI double in the second to Johnson
"Changeup command came and went. Fastball was kind of all over the place," Hughes said. "It was a nice night to get a lot of runs because I definitely needed it."
Toronto trailed 10-4 before a three-run eighth against Cory Wade and Joba Chamberlain . David Robertson struck out the side in the ninth for his second save this season and first since May 8.
New York's big fourth inning started when Martin walked and took second on a delayed steal, Curtis Granderson reached when Johnson fumbled his grounder to second for an error and Casey McGehee loaded the bases for Suzuki with a walk.
"That's a deep lineup and they're explosive, as you saw tonight," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said.
Toronto dropped to 66-82, ensuring the Blue Jays' second straight losing season and third in four years. Laffey gave up five runs - four earned - five walks and two hits in three-plus innings, dropping to 0-4 with a 5.45 ERA in his last eight appearances. There were 13 walks, eight by Toronto pitchers, and Blue Jays batters struck out 15 times.
"It's just one of those days that's pretty disappointing," Laffey said.
NOTES: New York (86-63) matched its season high of 23 games over .500. ... Former Yankees manager Joe Torre was on hand for a pregame tribute to Marvin Hamlisch, who died Aug. 6, accompanying the composer's wife, Terre. Hamlisch was a friend of Torre's and an occasional guest in his Yankee Stadium office. ... The only other Yankees pitcher with four Ks in an inning was A.J. Burnett against Colorado on June 24 last year. ... The Yankees have 10 slams this season, tying the team record set in 1987 and matched in 2010 and 2011. Swisher had slams April 21 at Boston and Aug. 13 vs. Texas.
.
Toronto Blue Jays