TORONTO — Jason Frasor chose poorly, and as a result, the Yankees broke a two-game skid.
Standing on the Rogers Centre mound in the eighth inning, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston gave Frasor, who was on in relief, a choice: With the score tied, runners on second and third and two outs, he could work to either Robinson Cano or Jorge Posada.
Frasor, who had struck out Alex Rodriguez looking for the second out after Mark Teixeira was walked intentionally to load the bases, opted to go after Cano despite the fact the Yankees second baseman already had two hits and was swinging a lot better than the ice-cold Posada.
“It didn’t cross my mind because there were two outs,” said Cano, who laced a two-run opposite-field single to left that lifted the Yankees to a much-needed 4-3 win in front of a crowd of 33,622.
For seven innings, it appeared the Yankees were going to waste Javier Vazquez’s best outing of the year. Vazquez had allowed two runs and one hit — Vernon Wells’ two-run homer in the sixth inning.
“I am happy we were able to win the game and score some runs,” said Vazquez (5-5), who has won three of his last four starts.
Friday night, the Yankees scored one run. Saturday, they scored two. In those games they went a combined 2-for-18 (.111) with runners in scoring position. So when Wells crushed a 0-2 pitch from Vazquez into the left-field seats, the Yankees were on the verge of getting swept.
Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow gave them life by hitting Francisco Cervelli with a pitch to open the eighth and reliever Scott Downs hit the next batter, Brett Gardner. Derek Jeter followed with a double inside the right-field foul line to plate Cervelli.
With one out, Teixeira was walked intentionally to load the bases for Rodriguez. Although Rodriguez was 5-for-5 with three home runs and 18 RBIs in seven plate appearances in such situations, Yankees manager Joe Girardi wasn’t surprised Gaston called for the walk.
“He was playing the percentages,” Girardi said. “Managers try to play the percentages and try and get the double play.”
Rodriguez struck out, but not before Gardner came home on a wild pitch by Frasor to tie the score, 2-2.
“We pitched well the last couple of games and they pitched well,” said Jeter, who had fanned with Gardner on third and one out in the third. “We are fortunate to get this one.”
Asked to protect a two-run lead in the eighth, Joba Chamberlain gave up a leadoff double to No. 9 hitter Jose Molina and an RBI single to Fred Lewis. That got Mariano Rivera up in the pen, but Chamberlain restored order by getting Aaron Hill to bang into a 4-6-3 double play.
That set off a confusing situation. Because Girardi had been ejected in the eighth by plate ump Bruce Dreckman for arguing a called third strike on a check swing by Nick Swisher, bench coach Tony Pena made the pitching change.
Pena called the bullpen and asked for Rivera. When he crossed the first-base foul line he signaled to the bullpen with his left arm, indicating he wanted left-hander Damaso Marte.
“On the way out I changed my mind,” said Pena, who went with his gut. “The umpire told me, ‘You asked for Marte.’ ”
Rivera was on the mound and had to jog back to the pen, where he watched Marte fan the left-handed hitting Adam Lind for the final out.
“I was told I was going in. I never check, I never do,” said Rivera, who worked a perfect ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances. “The big thing is that Javy pitched well for us. That’s the most important thing.”
Armed with a tantalizing change-up, Vazquez didn’t give up a hit until Wells’ 14th homer.
“So far this year I have had good command of it,” Vazquez said of the change, which had Blue Jay hitters off balance.
Vazquez started the season 1-4 and was skipped against the Red Sox in Boston, but Girardi said he believes the veteran right-hander has bounced back.
“This shows me he is back on track,” Girardi said of his fifth starter. “This is the guy we thought we were getting. He is throwing the ball well and is comfortable.”