TORONTO — A four-game losing streak had a real chance to become a season-high five-game downer, the defense was shaky and some members of the dynamic bullpen appeared to need a vat of energy drinks.
If ever a game in June — even late in the final days of the third month of the season — carried the “must-win’’ tag, the Yankees’ contest Wednesday night against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre was it.
“We had hit a little bit of a rough patch,’’ closer David Robertson said of the four-game skid. “We were fortunate to sneak one out.’’
Robertson played a big part in the 5-3 victory witnessed by 34,710, as he retired all five batters he faced to post his 18th save in 20 chances.
“It’s good to leave here with one win,’’ said manager Joe Girardi, whose club trails the AL East-leading Blue Jays by 2½ games and opens a three-game series against the Red Sox on Friday night at Yankee Stadium. “It’s not what you want, but it beats the alternative.’’
Thanks to Mark Teixeira’s two run homer in a four-run fourth inning, and his sacrifice fly in the seventh, Hiroki Kuroda (5-5) won for the first time since May 28.
“The whole dugout got excited about four runs because it had been a while since we had a lead,’’ said Teixeira, who leads the Yankees with 14 homers and 39 RBIs.
The last lead the Yankees had was Friday night, when Carlos Beltran’s ninth-inning, three-run homer lifted them to victory over the Orioles.
“We needed this going into [Thursday’s] off day and stop the bleeding,’’ Teixeira said.
Of course, it wasn’t without nervous moments, because that’s the way this bunch operates.
Jose Reyes drove Kuroda’s first pitch off the facing of the second deck and Melky Cabrera followed with a single. But Kuroda didn’t allow another run until Cabrera’s two-out, two-run single in the fifth cut the lead to 4-3.
The Yankees scored in the seventh without a hit. Brett Gardner walked, Derek Jeter got hit on his left foot and Jacoby Ellsbury (3-for-4) walked to load the bases without an out. Teixeira’s sacrifice fly delivered the only run, but the cushion was two runs instead of one.
“He’s an RBI machine,’’ Girardi said of Teixeira.
When Girardi removed Kuroda with one out in the seventh, he already had a plan that Robertson would be asked for four or five outs if needed. Matt Thornton relieved Shawn Kelley with two on and two out in the seventh, and got Adam Lind on a broken-bat grounder.
When Adam Warren gave up a one-out single to Juan Francisco, Girardi didn’t hesitate to summon Robertson.
“I knew I had him for four or five outs and I chose five,’’ Girardi said. “It’s not easy when you haven’t pitched in a while.’’
Kuroda understood the pressure of pitching with the Yankees on a four-game slide.
“We had to win today,’’ Kuroda said. “In a sense I’m glad [to help].’’
The win wasn’t wart-free, because the Yankees went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight. But Teixeira’s bat and Robertson’s arm were enough.
“I thought it was important going into the off day and having games in our division,’’ Girardi said. “I thought we needed a win.’’