TORONTO (AP) - CC Sabathia gave up two two-run homers to Josh Donaldson and then left the game after three innings when his right knee flared up.
The left-hander could miss his next turn in the New York Yankees’ rotation.
J.A. Happ won his sixth straight decision against the Yankees, and the Blue Jays beat New York 4-2.
Sabathia (9-5) limped off the field after his knee flared up in the third and did not return. It was his shortest outing since a 2 2/3-inning stint against Toronto on July 4.
“I thought he had a little bit of a limp coming off the field,” manager Joe Giarardi said. “When he came off he said he was feeling it every pitch and that’s why I pulled him.”
Sabathia has worn a brace on his right knee since suffering soreness late in the 2015 season. He will return to New York Wednesday for further examination.
“It’s just frustrating,” Sabathia said. “It’s been healthy all year. To go out today and not have it be where I want it to be is just frustrating.”
The left-hander, who lost consecutive starts for the first time in 2017, acknowledged his knee led to control problems against the Blue Jays.
“It’s just hard for me to get over my front side and finish the pitches,” he said. “When I can’t do that, I don’t know where the ball is going.”
Donaldson connected twice against Sabathia, who came in with an AL-best 2.29 ERA in 10 road starts. The 2015 AL MVP, Donaldson hit a drive to right-center in the first, and hooked one down the left field line in the third. He finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs.
“Huge home runs right there to give us the lead early in the game,” Happ said.
It was the 12th multihomer game of Donaldson’s career and his second this season, both coming against the Yankees.
Entering play Tuesday, Donaldson had not homered in 35 career at-bats against Sabathia, striking out more times (9) than he had hits (8).
Happ (5-8) allowed one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings, improving to 6-0 in 10 starts against the Yankees since 2014.
“He looks as good as I’ve ever seen him,” manager John Gibbons said.
Garrett Cooper drove in both Yankees runs with a single in the second and a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
New York used two walks and an infield single to load the bases with two outs in the sixth, but Dominic Leone got Cooper to fly out.
“We just never got the hits when we needed them,” Girardi said.
New York has scored two runs or fewer in five of its past six games.
Leone got one out, Danny Barnes pitched 2/3 of an inning and Ryan Tepera worked 1 1/3 innings before Roberto Osuna finished for his 29th save in 36 chances. Osuna had blown three of his previous five chances.
New York, which leads the AL wild card standings, has allowed the opposition to score first in nine of its past 10 games.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge went 0 for 2 with two strikeouts. Judge has struck out in 25 consecutive games, the longest streak in Yankees history.
CHANGE OF PLANS?
If Sabathia is sidelined, the Yankees may have to shelve plans to rest rookie LHP Jordan Montgomery, who was demoted to the minor leagues last weekend in an attempt to limit his innings. Montgomery was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday after going 7-6 with a 4.05 ERA in 21 starts and 115 2/3 innings. New York wants him to pitch about 180 innings this year. Montgomery set a career high with 139 1/3 innings at Double-A Trenton and Scranton last season.
CATCHING ON
Yankees C Gary Sanchez was back in the starting lineup Tuesday after being benched Sunday and starting at DH Saturday. Sanchez leads the majors with 12 passed balls and is second among catchers with 10 errors. He was hit on the left wrist by a pitch in the eighth but stayed in the game. He had no fielding mishaps.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: 1B Greg Bird (bruised right ankle) and 2B Starlin Castro (strained right hamstring) hit on the field and took ground balls. Bird said he expects to begin a minor league rehab assignment in about a week. … Girardi said OF Aaron Hicks (strained right oblique) could return as soon as this weekend’s home series against Boston.
Blue Jays: Toronto placed RHP Cesar Valdez (shoulder) on the 10-day DL and recalled RHP Leonel Campos from Triple-A Buffalo.
UP NEXT
Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (8-10, 4.93) will be pitching on six days’ rest when he takes the mound Wednesday. Tanaka is 3-3 with a 2.98 ERA over his past eight starts.
Blue Jays: With Wednesday’s scheduled starter Valdez landing on the DL, Toronto is expected to promote RHP Nick Tepesch from Triple-A Buffalo to start against the Yankees. Acquired from Minnesota last month, Tepesch is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three games at Buffalo.
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