Rookie sensation Aaron Judge sparks Yankees' comeback win over Blue Jays

Surrounded at his locker after another eye-turning performance, Aaron Judge thought for a few seconds when asked if he had ever been this hot at the plate.

"Maybe Tee-ball," he said, widening his smile.

The six-foot-seven rookie sensation hit another long drive for his major league-leading 13th home run, singled to start the go-ahead rally and had the first three-hit game of his big league career, helping the New York Yankees rally from a four-run deficit to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-6 on Wednesday night.

"Judge has been out of this world," Yankees third baseman Chase Headley said, with only a bit of hyperbole.

Matt Holliday hit his 300th home run, a three-run shot in the first, and Brett Gardner helped spark his teammates by destroying a blue recycling bin in the dugout with four mighty cuts of his bat after he was called out on strikes by Bill Welke in the sixth.

"They'll probably fine me 15 or 20 bucks, and we'll get a new one the next home stand," Gardner said. "It felt good. It was a plastic trash can, so I was able to handle it pretty well. Better that than the cement wall."

Capping a 4-2 home stand that left the Yankees atop the AL East at 17-9, pinch-hitter Didi Gregorius drove in the go-ahead run in a three-run seventh with a comebacker that could have been an inning-ending double play but instead bounced off the glove of reliever Joe Biagini (0-1) for an infield single.

Pearce provides boost

Steve Pearce's third homer in two days, a three-run shot, helped Toronto take a 4-0 lead against CC Sabathia after 16 pitches. The Blue Jays led 6-3 before Judge's two-run homer in the third, a 435-foot drive into the netting above Monument Park behind the center-field wall.

Selected the AL Rookie of the Month for April, Judge raised his average to .330 and has six homers in his last six games. He also has hit the second-most home runs through 26 games in Yankees history, one behind Alex Rodriguez in 2007.

New York is 11-0 when Judge homers. The right fielder, who turned 25 last week, tries to deflect attention toward his teammates.

"The good thing about him is you can tell from his demeanor and his attitude that he wants to improve, he wants to be better and he handles himself the right way, not only on the field but off the field," former Yankees captain Derek Jeter said in a video interview on the team's website. "So I'm a fan of his."

Stroman forced out 

Given a four-run first-inning lead, Toronto's Marcus Stroman allowed his first two batters to reach base, then a three-run homer to Matt Holliday. Pitching two days after his 26th birthday, the right-hander kept trying to stretch his pitching arm.

Stroman was gone after three innings, his shortest start in three years because of tightness in his right armpit.

"It's not something I'm slightly concerned with," Stroman said. "Just general tightness in my armpit. Just caution on the side of being safe."

Selected MVP of the World Baseball Classic after helping the U.S. win its first WBC title, Stroman allowed five runs and six hits, his shortest start since the Chicago White Sox chased him after two outs on Aug. 15, 2014. Stroman entered 5-2 with a 2.17 ERA in eight starts against the Yankees.

"Got to be smart, get him out of there," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "Plus, tough night for him, anyway. He wasn't going to last much longer, anyway."

Stroman threw 36 of 66 pitches for strikes on a cool evening. He left with the Blue Jays ahead 6-5.

"Just had trouble getting loose today," he said. "The tightness was causing it to be a little tough to get extension at some points."

Last in the AL East at 9-19, Toronto already is missing starting pitchers Aaron Sanchez (split finger nail) and J.A. Happ (elbow soreness) along with third baseman Josh Donaldson (right calf) and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (right hamstring).