Blue Jays avoid sweep in the Bronx

The Toronto Blue Jays escaped the new Yankee Stadium with a 7-6 win on Monday, narrowly avoiding a four-game sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees.

They can thank their rookie pitcher Ricky Romero (7-3), who went six and a third innings, giving up only three runs off seven hits while racking up five K's as Toronto snapped their five-game losing streak against the Bronx Bombers.

"I was really, really excited," said Romero. "You know, it's a packed house. It's the Yankees, and you want to do good."

Nerves get the best of Romero in 1st

Romero began the game looking a little overexcited to play his first game against the Yankees (48-34). The rookie issued a full-count walk to Derek Jeter before advancing him to second on a balk.

Jeter, attempting to steal third, was thrown out by Rod Barajas. Jeter argued with third base umpire Marty Foster before Yankees manager Joe Girardi got into it with Foster and was quickly tossed from the game.

"I was told by the umpire that I didn't have to be tagged to be out," Jeter said.

Crew chief John Hirschbeck did not make Foster available to reporters but said he would talk to his colleague.

"It would make his actions seem appropriate if that's what he was told," Hirschbeck said of Jeter. "It used to be if the ball beat you, you were out, but it isn't that way anymore. It's not a reason to call someone out. You have to make a good tag."

Nick Swisher singled after the ejection and made it to second after Romero tossed a wild pitch. After getting Teixeira to fly out to centre field, Romero's butterflies re-emerged as he hit Alex Rodriguez in the knee with a wild curve ball, putting two aboard for Jorge Posada.

However, after a talk with his catcher, Romero settled down to strike out the Yankees catcher to end what was a less-than-stellar start, but manager Cito Gaston said it was important for the pitcher to battle through adversity.

"He just keeps getting better all the time," said Gaston. "He's growing up out there every time he goes out there.".

The Blue Jays (43-41) opened the scoring in the top of the second when Kevin Millar was walked on four pitches by Andy Pettitte (8-4) and Jose Bautista singled to bring up Barajas. The Toronto catcher jumped on the first pitch offered by Pettitte, sending what proved to be an RBI-single to the right field corner.

Romero settles down

Romero started the second stronger than his debut inning at the new Yankee Stadium, retiring the three batters he faced, including a strikeout on Robinson Cano.

In the third inning, again facing two on with two out, Pettitte was rattled again. This time it would be Alex Rios lighting up the Yankees stalwart, launching a three-run homer that made it 4-0 Blue Jays.

A great defensive effort by Romero's teammates would keep it scoreless in the bottom of the third. A great leaping catch by Bautista in left-field robbed New York's Brett Gardner of extra bases; a throw to first off a dribbler by third baseman Scott Rolen would narrowly put out Jeter. Romero would help his own cause by striking out Teixeira to end the inning.

Bautista would come up with another defensive gem in the fourth. With Rodriguez on first base, Cano launched a shot all the way to the left-field wall where Bautista made an over-the-shoulder catch.

Taking advantage of overzealous base running by Rodriguez, who was on his way to third, Bautista started the relay to first base that ended the inning as the Yankees' slugger tried to tag up.

Eric Hinske would cut the lead by a run in the fifth inning as he halted Romero's shutout innings streak at 24 with a solo shot.

Romero shut the Yankees down for the rest of that inning and had a 1-2-3 sixth inning to preserve the three-run lead.

Return of the Mack

Little-used Blue Jays utility player John McDonald smashed a seventh inning lead off homer to left field to make it 5-1.

After issuing a walk to Marco Scutaro, Pettitte's day was over with a line of six-plus innings, surrendering six runs off five hits with five walks and three strikeouts.

New York reliever Brian Bruney replaced Pettitte but surrendered a double to Vernon Wells and put two runners in scoring position for Scott Rolen. Rolen used Bruney's slider against him, converting it into a two-RBI single. The hit extended the third baseman's streak to 23 games.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Yankees loaded the bases on Romero with one away and Romero's day was over. It only took one pitch from Brandon League for Swisher to capitalize, knocking the fastball up the middle to score two.

League rebounded with six pitches to strike out Teixeira and Rodriguez back-to-back to escape the inning.

Accardo given the hook, Frasor saves the day

Jeremy Accardo was summoned to work the eighth for the Blue Jays where he put runners at first and third after hitting Hinske with a pitch. With two out, pinch-hitter Johnny Damon came up to bat and was also plunked by Accardo, who was given the hook in favour of Jason Frasor.

With the score 7-4, Jeter represented the tying run and took Frasor all the way to a full count before taking ball four. The Blue Jays could breathe easier after the next pitch, when Swisher popped a high fly ball to Wells to end the inning.

Frasor was called upon in the ninth to shut down the Yankees. With two out and runners in scoring position, Hideki Matsui pinch hit for the Yankees and "Godzilla" didn't disappoint, sending a shot to centre field that would score both runners bringing New York within one run.

Frasor would escape with the save as he got Hinske to whiff on a full-count offering to end the game and preserve Romero's win.

Toronto will start a three-game series in Tampa on Tuesday.