Homers from Damon, Teixeira and Matsui help Pettitte end winless streak as Yankees beat Jays

Pettitte wins as Yankees beat Blue Jays 5-3

TORONTO — Now that he’s almost certainly staying in Toronto for the rest of the season, all Roy Halladay wants to do is win.

For the first time in a long time, the Toronto Blue Jays ace is finding victories tough to come by.

Halladay gave up solo homers to Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui and Andy Pettitte won for the first time in six outings as the New York Yankees beat the Blue Jays 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Halladay declined to discuss his feelings about staying with Toronto past the non-waiver trading deadline and was blunt when what his goals are for the remainder of the season.

“Win,” Halladay said. “That’s the reason you’re here. I don’t think at any point you can pack it in and work on things. You have to come out every day to try and win. That’s what it comes down to.”

Halladay (11-5) lost back-to-back starts for the first time in 2009, allowing four runs and eight hits in his fifth complete game of the year. The righty, who walked none and struck out five, has won just once in seven starts since coming off the disabled list June 29 after missing two turns with a sore groin.

The subject of intense trade talk leading up to July 31, Halladay got a warm welcome from Toronto fans happy to still see him wearing a Blue Jays uniform after the non-waiver trade deadline. For the third straight home start, Halladay got a standing ovation as he walked in from the bullpen before the game.

Pettitte (9-6), who had not won since July 1, allowed one run and four hits in 6 2-3 innings, walking four and striking out six.

Halladay came in 8-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his past 10 home starts against the Yankees but was behind quickly in this one as New York scored twice in the first. Damon singled and scored the opening run on a two-out double by Alex Rodriguez, who scored when Matsui was safe at first on Kevin Millar’s throwing error.

“Getting those two in the first inning was huge for us because it let Pettitte go out there and just relax and do his thing,” Damon said.

Toronto cut the deficit in half on Alex Rios’ sacrifice fly in the fourth, but Damon and Teixeira hit consecutive solo shots to right in the eighth, the 10th time this season the Yankees have hit back-to-back homers.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Halladay said. “I just didn’t execute, especially late, and it cost me.”

At St. Petersburg, Fla., Evan Longoria hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot off Takashi Saito with two outs in the bottom of the 13th.

Longoria, who struck out four times, homered in the eighth off Daniel Bard, tying the game at 2.

The Red Sox bullpen worked out of jams in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings, but couldn’t hold off the Rays for a fourth time. Boston’s Dustin Pedroia grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the 10th.

Michel Hernandez walked to start the 13th. After a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, Longoria hit his 23rd homer of the season off Saito (2-3) to end the 4 hour, 57-minute game.

At Chicago, Scott Podsednik’s RBI single with two outs in the ninth snapped Los Angeles’ eight-game road winning streak.

Kevin Jepsen (3-3) retired the first two batters in the ninth, then allowed Jayson Nix’s double and Podsednik’s single.

It was the third game-ending hit this season by Podsednik, a 2005 World Series star for Chicago who was re-signed by the team after Colorado cut him in April.

At Detroit, Brian Matusz and Baltimore spoiled Jarrod Washburn’s debut with Detroit.

Cesar Izturis and Nick Markakis both homered, drove in three runs and had three hits for Baltimore.

Matusz (1-0), the fourth pick overall in the 2008 draft, allowed a run and six hits in five innings in his major league debut. He walked three and struck out five.

Washburn (8-7), who was acquired from Seattle on July 31 in a deal for pitchers Luke French and Mauricio Robles, gave up six runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings.

At Cleveland, Minnesota’s Scott Baker pitched seven scoreless innings and was backed by home runs from Carlos Gomez and Jason Kubel.

Gomez had three hits and four RBIs, and Joe Mauer hit three of Minnesota’s season-high seven doubles as the Twins broke a three-game losing streak.

Baker (9-7) allowed three hits and one walk, striking out four to improve to 5-1 in eight starts since June 25.

At Kansas City, Mo., Ichiro Suzuki homered to lead off the game and ended it with a great sliding catch to help Seattle snap a five-game losing streak to Kansas City.

The Royals loaded the bases with two outs against Seattle closer David Aardsma with two singles and a walk. John Buck lifted a high fly ball to right and Suzuki went into a feet-first slide to make the game-ending catch in foul territory. Aardsma earned his 26th save in 28 opportunities.

Russell Branyan’s RBI single off Ron Mahay put Seattle on top 7-6 in the seventh.

At Oakland, Calif., Gio Gonzalez threw 6 2-3 innings and Kurt Suzuki homered for Oakland.

Mark Ellis had three hits and three RBIs for the Athletics.

Michael Young extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a double in the eighth but the Rangers lost for the third time in four games.

Gonzalez (3-2) took a no-hitter into the fifth before giving up a two-out hit to David Murphy. He retired 14 in a row to that point.