Ellsbury drives in winning run, Yankees beat Blue Jays 3-2

TORONTO -- The New York Yankees got another win.

They also lost a big part of their lineup for at least a day or two.

Brian McCann homered before leaving with a bruised left big toe, Jacoby Ellsbury singled home the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning and the Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Tuesday night.

McCann tried to keep playing after being hit by a foul tip in the middle innings, but Austin Romine took over in the ninth.

"They drained a little blood out of the toenail after the eighth inning," manager Joe Girardi said. "He's pretty sore. He won't be a player for us (Wednesday)."

X-rays taken at the stadium were negative. Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said the team was "comfortable with that diagnosis," and no further tests were scheduled.

Johnny Barbato (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for his first major league win in the first game between these AL East rivals this season. The Yankees lost 13 of 19 meetings with Toronto last year.

"They played us really tough last year," Chase Headley said. "Especially toward the end, we had a tough time beating them."

McCann finished 2 for 3 with a walk and scored twice. Andrew Miller got his second save.

Ellsbury's bloop single off left-hander Brett Cecil (0-2) scored Headley from third base, helping the Yankees hand the slumping Blue Jays their fifth loss in six games. Ellsbury was 2 for 5 with a stolen base.

"I thought Jake did a tremendous job battling there, just putting the ball in play and a good thing happened," Girardi said.

Cecil has blown two saves and has a 10.13 ERA over four outings.

"He's off right now," manager John Gibbons said. "There's no secret about that."

Dellin Betances struck out Jose Bautista looking to end the seventh, stranding the tying run at second base.

Following an errant pickoff throw by right-hander Aaron Sanchez, Starlin Castro hit an RBI groundout to give New York a 1-0 lead in the second. Toronto answered in the third when Bautista hit a two-run double just beyond the reach of Ellsbury, who appeared to get a late break.

McCann tied it with a two-out homer in the sixth, his second.

Sanchez allowed two runs, one earned, and three hits in six innings.

Masahiro Tanaka came in 5-2 with a 2.23 ERA in seven career starts against Toronto but struggled with his command and a high pitch count. He allowed two runs and three hits in five innings, walked four and struck out six. Tanaka threw 92 pitches, 54 strikes.

"He had a hard time finding a rhythm early on," Girardi said. "For him to get us through five was big."

DESTINED FOR DAD

Barbato said he'd be taking home a game ball and the lineup card from his first career win, although he didn't plan to hold on to his haul of memorabilia.

"My dad has a little shrine at home," Barbato said. "It's probably going to go to him."

SWING AND A MISS

Toronto batters struck out 11 times and have fanned 10 or more times in six of eight games this season.

PARTNERSHIP PROLONGED

The Blue Jays agreed to a two-year extension of their affiliation with Triple-A Buffalo. The deal, which began in 2012, now runs through the 2018 season.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Yankees: Suspended LHP Aroldis Chapman threw off a mound Monday and is expected to pitch in an extended spring training game this week. Chapman is serving a 30-game suspension under baseball's new domestic violence policy but did fielding and conditioning drills at New York's minor league complex in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday. ... RHP Nick Rumbelow has a torn elbow ligament and needs Tommy John surgery that will sideline him until next year. Rumbelow will have surgery Friday.

Blue Jays: Donaldson returned to third base after starting at DH the previous three games because of a strained right calf.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Michael Pineda (1-0, 3.80) will be pitching on five days rest when he faces the Blue Jays on Wednesday. Pineda went 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA in three starts against Toronto last season.

Blue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (0-0, 3.00) will pitch against the Yankees on Wednesday for the first time since 2014. He's 3-2 with a 4.85 ERA in nine career starts against New York.