TORONTO — With Vernon Wells delivering a clutch hit that led the Yankees to victory, it seemed as if the clock had been turned all the way back to … well, April. Yet, as far as the Yankees are concerned, now would be a tremendous time for Wells to rediscover the form that made him such a key part of the club’s early-season success.
With two runs already across the plate in the eighth inning and Robinson Cano and Alfonso Soriano both in scoring position, Wells lined a double into left field that took a bounce before hitting the wall. Both runners scored on what ended up as the game-winning hit in the Yankees’ 4-3 win over the Blue Jays Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.
Wells, who also delivered a fourth-inning single, was 2-for-4. It was his first multi-hit game since Aug. 13 and just his third multi-RBI game since July 4. Wells, who raised his average to .244, has hit just .224 in 333 plate appearances since May 1, after getting off to a red-hot start in April.
Though Wells said he was pleased with his own performance, he was far more happy the Yankees snapped a four-game losing streak and picked up a critical September victory.
“We needed to win,” Wells said. “Things have been ugly over the last few days and guys are still battling.
“It’s obviously frustrating going through periods like that, but hopefully this is something that can kick start something special for us.”
The pennant race is particularly important to Wells, who still is looking to play in the postseason for the first time in 15 major league seasons. Only Adam Dunn has played in more games (1,863) amongst current players without a playoff appearance than Wells, who played in his 1,725th game on Wednesday.
Just being in a pennant race is a new feeling for Wells, who enjoys the experience so much he says “it’s not pressure.”
“That’s the fun part about this game, knowing every game is important at this point,” Wells said. “You have to battle to the end, this is the perfect example of that. Things are looking bad and then you blink your eyes, and we have the lead. … [When] you get into situations you have to win, you know how big every situation is.”
Manager Joe Girardi easily could have pinch hit for Wells in the eighth with right-hander Steve Delabar on the mound, especially because Wells entered the game hitting just .210 with a .583 OPS against right-handers this season.
Nevertheless, Girardi said he felt Wells could deliver at least a sacrifice fly in the situation.
“I just felt good about Vernon getting the run in,” Girardi said. “He’s been swinging the bat pretty decently, and I felt he’s the kind of guy who can drive a ball, hit a fly ball and get the run in.”