George Springer hits 2 three-run homers as Blue Jays beat slumping Yankees 9-2

TORONTO (AP) — George Springer had three hits, including a pair of three-run homers, and José Berríos pitched seven strong innings as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the slumping New York Yankees 9-2 on Thursday night.

The loss was New York’s season-worst fourth straight and ninth in 11 games, dropping the Yankees out of first place in the AL East. They are percentage points behind Baltimore.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added a solo home run, his 11th, as Toronto won its second straight game after losing the previous seven.

Berríos (7-6) went 0-3 in three starts against New York last season. This time, he allowed two runs on two hits, walked three and struck out a season-best eight.

The Yankees opened June with five straight wins, capping an eight-game streak. They are 7-12 since.

“Look, clearly we’ve got to execute better,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “We’ve got to make better decisions about pitch selection in certain situations, and we’ve got to get it right. I’m confident that we will.”

New York sluggers Juan Soto and Aaron Judge finished a combined 0 for 7 with four strikeouts in the opener of a four-game series. Earlier in the day, Judge was elected a starter for the July 16 All-Star Game.

Trent Grisham hit a two-run homer for the Yankees, who had been one of four teams that hadn't lost four straight this season. Cleveland, Milwaukee and Philadelphia have yet to lose four in a row.

Springer came in batting .196 with six home runs, two of which he hit on the first two days of the season. The veteran outfielder also homered in Tuesday’s win at Boston.

“There’s been a lot of stuff I’ve been trying to do to get myself in a position to help us win,” Springer said. “I’m never going to quit.”

Springer drilled a 391-foot drive into the second deck in Toronto’s five-run first inning, then added a 434-foot shot to center in the second.

Springer reached 250 career home runs with his second of the night. It was his first multi-homer game of the season and the 22nd of his career.

“That’s what we’ve known from George,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.

Both of Springer’s homers came against Carlos Rodón. The struggling left-hander has allowed eight runs in back-to-back outings and 21 runs over his past three starts, all losses.

Rodón (9-5) gave up 10 hits and matched a career worst by allowing eight earned runs in five innings. He walked one and struck out eight.

“They put some really good swings on some fastballs tonight that I didn’t execute,” Rodón said. “It was not fun.”

Boone agreed that Rodón has been hurt by the fastball during his losing streak.

“There’s no question people are selling out to that a little bit and having some success,” Boone said. “They’ve slugged it and that’s hurt him in these few outings.”

Phil Bickford left the bullpen and started jogging in when Boone came to the mound in the fifth, but Bickford turned around after Rodón talked Boone into letting him finish the inning.

“I just wanted to get through five for the bullpen and prove something to myself,” Rodón said. “Even though I got knocked down, I can get back up.”

Toronto’s first five batters all reached safely and scored.

New York second baseman Gleyber Torres sat for the second straight day after also sitting out Wednesday’s road loss to the Mets.

“When you don’t do the right thing for the team, it’s not that easy,” Torres said. “I’m trying to compete really hard, trying to get things right.”

Boone said Torres could return Friday.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was hit by pitches in the first, second and eighth innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: INF DJ LeMahieu (rest) was held out of the starting lineup. … RHP Scott Effross (back surgery) struck out two in a scoreless inning at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

UP NEXT

LHP Yusei Kikuchi (4-7, 4.00 ERA) is scheduled to start for Toronto on Friday against former Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman (7-3, 3.15).

This story has been revised to correct the day of the week.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) hits a broken-bat RBI double against the New York Yankees during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer, right, celebrates his three-run home run against the New York Yankees with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon reacts on the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer, right, celebrates his three-run home run against the New York Yankees with Justin Turner (2) during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) waits as Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer runs the bases on a three-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

New York Yankees second baseman Jahmai Jones throws to first after forcing out Toronto Blue Jays' Isiah Kiner-Falefa (7) on a double play hit into by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon checks his grip during the second inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon reacts after giving up a three-run home run to Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer, right, celebrates his three-run home run against the New York Yankees with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer, center, celebrates his three-run home run against the New York Yankees with Justin Turner (2) during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

VIENNA (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Sunday presented a new alliance with Austria's far-right Freedom Party and the main Czech opposition party, which hopes to attract other partners and become the biggest right-wing group in the European Parliament.

Orbán traveled to Vienna to present the “Patriots for Europe” alliance of his Fidesz party with the Freedom Party and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's ANO party, a day before Hungary takes over the European Union’s rotating presidency for six months.

The European Parliament elections in early June strengthened hard-right parties overall, though their performances varied from country to country, but left unclear to what extent they would manage to work together. Until now, they have been spread across two groups in the EU legislature, plus a large number of unaligned parties.

Orbán in recent years has appeared to relish opportunities to block, water down or delay key EU decisions, routinely going against the grain of most other leaders on issues like the war in Ukraine, relations with Russia and China, and efforts to defend democracy and the rule of law. His public opposition to EU policies and stances has long frustrated other governments in the bloc and pushed him to the margins of the continent’s mainstream.

“What Europeans want is three things: peace, order and development,” Orbán said through an interpreter at Sunday's event. “And what they are getting from the elite in Brussels today is war, migration and stagnation.”

“Our objective is, and we believe that this will happen, that in a short time, this will be the strongest right-wing group in the European Parliament,” Orbán said.

The trio would need to attract lawmakers from at least four more EU countries to successfully form a group in the new parliament.

Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl noted that the new European Parliament will meet for the first time in Strasbourg on July 16. He said that “starting immediately ... all political forces that want to join in our political and positive reform effort are very welcome."

Kickl added that “from what I have heard in recent days ... there will be more of them than some of you probably suspect right now.” He didn't name any potential partners, and the three party leaders didn't take questions.

The Freedom Party narrowly won first place in the European Parliament election and hopes to win Austria's national election on Sept. 29.

A “patriotic manifesto for a European future" signed by the three party leaders assails alleged plans for “a European central state" and pledges “to prioritize sovereignty over federalism, freedom over diktats, and peace.”

Moulson reported from Berlin.

FILE - Former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis addresses the opening session of Hungary Conservative Political Action Conference Hungary in Budapest, Hungary, on May 4, 2023. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has presented a new alliance with Austria’s far-right Freedom Party and the main Czech opposition party, which hopes to attract other partners and become the biggest right-wing group in the European Parliament. Orbán traveled to Vienna Sunday, June 30, 2024, to present the “Patriots for Europe” alliance of his Fidesz party with the Freedom Party and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s ANO party — a day before Hungary takes over the European Union’s rotating presidency for six months. (Szilard Koszticsak/MTI via AP)

FILE - Herbert Kickl, leader of Austrian Freedom Party (FPOE), arrives for the traditional FPOE May day event at the Urfahraner fair in Linz, Austria, on May 1, 2024. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has presented a new alliance with Austria’s far-right Freedom Party and the main Czech opposition party, which hopes to attract other partners and become the biggest right-wing group in the European Parliament. Orbán traveled to Vienna Sunday, June 30, 2024, to present the “Patriots for Europe” alliance of his Fidesz party with the Freedom Party and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s ANO party — a day before Hungary takes over the European Union’s rotating presidency for six months. (AP Photo/Christian Bruna)

FILE - Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for an EU summit in Brussels, on June 27, 2024. Orbán has presented a new alliance with Austria’s far-right Freedom Party and the main Czech opposition party, which hopes to attract other partners and become the biggest right-wing group in the European Parliament. Orbán traveled to Vienna Sunday, June 30, 2024, to present the “Patriots for Europe” alliance of his Fidesz party with the Freedom Party and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s ANO party — a day before Hungary takes over the European Union’s rotating presidency for six months. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)