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Yankees' Playoff Hopes Fading Fast; Joba: 'I Let My Team Down'

TORONTO (CBSNewYork/AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays were beaten badly by the New York Yankees at times this season.

They just got some revenge -- and it came at the worst time for the Bombers.

Adam Lind hit a three-run homer off reliever Joba Chamberlain and the last-place Blue Jays damaged New York's fading playoff hopes with a 6-2 victory Thursday night.

"Obviously, I let my team down," Chamberlain said. "And that's the frustrating part at this time of year."

Toronto dropped 12 of its first 13 games against New York this season, and then managed to win four of the last six in the season series.

"The way the year has gone here, we're looking for some satisfaction and two out of three against them is nice," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "Especially the way they've been beating us like a drum all year long. We like to inflict our own version of pain somehow."

PALLADINO: TIME RUNNING OUT ON BOMBERS

New York, which dropped 3½ games back for the second AL wild-card berth, lost two of three in Toronto while scoring just six runs and hitting .198 (19 for 96). The Yankees have lost five of six overall.

"It's frustrating," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We haven't swung the bats that well for the last week."

"This series right here, we just didn't take care of business," said catcher Chris Stewart.

Rookie Todd Redmond (4-2) stymied New York in this one, giving up one run and four hits in a career-high seven innings with seven strikeouts and a walk.

"It's not time to reflect, it's time to win games," said third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. "It's frustrating, no doubt. We are spinning our wheels a little bit, and we need to be more productive."

Hiroki Kuroda lost his fifth straight decision, allowing two runs in the third inning and a solo home run to Anthony Gose in the sixth. Lind connected in the seventh off Chamberlain.

In danger of missing the playoffs for only the second time in 19 seasons, the Yankees return home for a six-game homestand against San Francisco and Tampa Bay — what could be Mariano Rivera's final games in the Bronx — then close with a three-game interleague series at Houston.

"We've got to run the table, there's no way around it," infielder Mark Reynolds said. "We've got some tough games coming up. The Giants have good pitching, Tampa's got good pitching. We've got to have a good homestand and hopefully go into Houston with a chance."

The Yankees opened this 10-game road trip by taking three of four from Baltimore but were swept in Boston last weekend before losing the series to Toronto.

"We ran into the Red Sox wave and we haven't recovered," Alex Rodriguez said.

"We'll see what we're made of," Reynolds. "We have nine games left.

Kuroda also has stumbled of late: He is 0-5 with a 6.37 ERA in his last seven outings after going 11-7 with a 2.33 ERA through Aug. 12.

Kuroda allowed eight hits in six innings with four walks and seven strikeouts.

"He was in trouble every inning," Girardi said of Kuroda. "He got some double plays that helped him. It seemed like the first guy was on every inning, or the first two guys were on every inning. He did a really good job of minimizing damage."

Sergio Santos pitched the eighth but the Blue Jays needed three relievers to get through the ninth, when Casey Janssen relieved with the bases loaded and one out, then finished for his 32nd save in 34 chances.

Jose Reyes put Toronto ahead with an RBI double in the third and scored on Brett Lawrie's grounder.

Curtis Granderson went deep in the sixth for the Yankees' first home run since Brendan Ryan connected against Boston's John Lackey last Friday, but Toronto made it 3-1 in the bottom half on a drive by Gose, who had three hits.

In August, Girardi said the Yankees would need some "big innings" from Chamberlain. He didn't deliver Thursday.

Chamberlain allowed his eighth home run — his career high as a reliever. He relieved to start the seventh, walked Munenori Kawasaki, gave up a single to Lawrie and then allowed Lind's drive into the second deck.

New York had the bases loaded with one out in the ninth when Janssen relieved. Vernon Wells hit an RBI grounder and Lyle Overbay grounded out.

Rodriguez went 0 for 3 with a walk and has just one hit in his past 22 at-bats.

"I think you just keep running him out there," Girardi said.

NOTES: A letter filed with the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on Thursday said Yankees LHP Andy Pettitte's deposition is scheduled for Tuesday in New York in Brian McNamee's lawsuit against Roger Clemens. Clemens has asked that Pettitte's deposition be postponed because one of Clemens' lawyers is not available. ... Lind's home run was his 22nd. He has six homers and 14 RBIs in 15 games this month. ... Toronto slugger Edwin Encarnacion underwent surgery on his left wrist. ... The Blue Jays honored Rivera with a traditional Inuit carving and made a $10,000 donation to Rivera's charitable foundation. ... Comedian Sarah Silverman threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

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