Tellez’s first homer of pre-season helps lift Blue Jays over Yankees

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Rowdy Tellez hit his first home run of the pre-season to help lift the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-2 comeback win over the New York Yankees on Sunday in spring training action.

Tellez’s two-run blast to centre field came in the sixth inning off Yankees pitcher Trevor Stephan, erasing a 2-1 Toronto deficit.

Billy McKinney also homered for the Blue Jays, a solo shot in the third inning. Eric Sogard added to the lead with a sacrifice fly in the seventh before Santiago Espinal scored on an error.

Luke Voit homered off Toronto starter Matt Shoemaker in the second inning and DJ LeMahieu added an RBI single in the third to account for New York’s runs.

Blue Jays third baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr., baseball’s top prospect, was 1 for 3 with a double. The 19-year-old Guerrero also made a fielding error.

Reliever Ken Giles earned the win while Stephan took the loss.

Toronto begins its 2019 season at home against the Detroit Tigers March 28.