

Melissa Couto, The Canadian Press





TORONTO -- Yangervis Solarte hit a go-ahead solo homer in the eighth inning and Kevin Pillar stole home to pad the lead as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 5-3 Saturday for their first win of the season.

Solarte led off the bottom of the inning by smashing a 97 mile-per-hour fastball from reliever Dellin Betances (0-1) into the centre-field seats. It was Solarte's second hit as a Blue Jay after a run-scoring double in Friday night's loss.

Pillar reached on a base hit and stole second and third before barrelling for the plate with Gift Ngoepe batting. It was Toronto's first straight steal of home since Aaron Hill did it against the Yankees in 2007 and it sent the crowd of 37,692 at Rogers Centre into a frenzy.

Justin Smoak, on the day of his bobblehead giveaway, hit a double and two singles and drove in a pair of runs for Toronto (1-2). Luke Maile had the other RBI.

Ryan Tepera (1-0) pitched the top of the eighth for the win and Roberto Osuna earned the save. Marco Estrada started for the Blue Jays, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out two over seven innings.

Tyler Austin hit two homers and drove in all three runs for the Yankees (2-1). Starter CC Sabathia allowed two runs over five innings with five hits, two walks and four strikeouts.

Smoak gave the Blue Jays their first lead of the season, cashing in Josh Donaldson from second on a base hit to left field in the first inning. Donaldson had reached on a double to left for his first hit, snapping an 0 for 7 start to the year.

Yankees rookie Billy McKinney slammed hard into the outfield scoreboard trying to make the catch and left the game with a shoulder sprain.

Reliever Adam Warren became the second Yankee to leave the field with an injury after taking an Aledmys Diaz comebacker on the inside of his ankle in the sixth inning. Maile hit an RBI single off Warren's replacement, Jonathan Holder, to put the Jays ahead 3-2. The run was charged to Warren.

Austin had tied the game an inning earlier, sending a first-pitch offering from Estrada into the second deck in centre field. The two-run shot was just the second hit allowed by Estrada and first since a first-inning double from Giancarlo Stanton.

Austin tied the game again in the seventh with his second homer, a solo shot to left.

Smoak gave Toronto a 2-0 lead in the third with a double down the left-field line that plated Steve Pearce from first base.

Donaldson, who's dealing with what the team described as "dead arm," was the designated hitter for a second straight day. He fielded ground balls before the game and said he feels close to returning to his usual position at third base.

NOTES: The four-game series concludes Sunday with right-hander Marcus Stroman making his first start of the season for Toronto. Sonny Gray counters for the Yankees.