Phil Hughes took the mound against Brandon Morrow on Sunday, trying to put his last start, a flu-and-skipped start-dogged subpar affair behind him.  For a while, the only thing in his and the rest of the Yankees’ way were gopherballs and the outfield arms of the Blue Jays.

Hughes cruised through the first two innings on 20 pitches, featuring three swinging Ks.  Leading off the 3rd, Lyle Overbay launched a Monument Park homer, the ninth homer Hughes has allowed at home this season (strangely, Hughes hasn’t allowed one in his road starts).

The Yanks put two on the board in the bottom of the inning on a single to left, an infield single to third, a Jeter sac bunt in which Lyle Overbay tried and failed to get Brett Gardner on a force out at third, a Mark Teixeira sacrifice fly and an Alex Rodriguez RBI single.  While it didn’t match the Bombers’ 11-run 3rd inning outburst from Saturday in terms of clout and duration, Hughes was pitching well enough that one thought it might be enough.

The Yanks tacked on a gift run in the 4th. With one out and Curtis Granderson on first, Grandy was allowed to advance to 2nd on a Gardner called swinging third strike/wild pitch, even though the ball appeared to nick Gardner’s leg, which would have made it a dead ball.  Ramiro Pena plated Granderson with a 2-out single.

The Jays got to Hughes again in the 5th, with the big blow coming from DeWayne Wise, a 3-run doink high off the right field foul pole on a floating breaking ball mistake from Hughes.  Wise was only starting in center for the Jays due to Vernon Wells getting a day off in the midst of an 0-for-18 slump.  Mr. Wise’s day would get more interesting soon thereafter.

Nick Swisher led off the bottom of the fifth with a single to center, and then Teixeira boomed a double over Wise’s head (Wise plays a notoriously shallow centerfield).  Swisher hesitated rounding second to make sure Wise didn’t catch it, then was waved around third, and was gunned down 8-6-2, with our old friend Jose Molina deftly blocking the plate and applying the tag.  Teixeira took third on the throw home.

Then Rodriguez lofted a flyball to medium center, and Wise threw a one-bouncer to Molina, who tagged Teixeira as he was trying to hook his arm around home plate.  End of rally.

Hughes served up yet another homer (his 7th in the last four starts) in the sixth, this time a bullpen blast off the bat of  Adam Lind.  Hughes’ day would be done after the sixth, having allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk, with seven Ks.

Down 5-3 now, Jorge Posada knocked a one-out single and after Granderson K’ed (one of four on the day for him), Gardner belted another ball over Wise’s head.  This time though, Wise caught up to it in time enough to put up his glove, only to lose the ball in the tough sun, and have it tick off his glove as Wise fell to the ground in self-defense.  Gardner circled the bases on a debatable inside-the-park homer, tying the game at 5.

Damaso Marte pitched a perfect top of the 7th, but the Yanks lost Jorge Posada with one out in that frame due to a foul tip off the edge of the glove that bent Posada’s fingers back.  It was eerily reminiscent of the recent injury to the BoSox’ Victor Martinez.  (Fortunately, x-rays proved negative, and a sprained ring finger makes Jorge day-to-day).

In the bottom of the inning, the Yanks mounted another threat, this time against Sean Camp.  Jeter and Swisher each singled to start the inning, and then that man Teixeira doubled down the RF line, scoring Jeter to make it 6-5.  With Swisher at third, A-Rod K’ed and Cano was intentionally walked to bring up Posada’s sub, Francisco Cervelli.  Cervelli lofted a foul ball down the right field line, and Jose Bautista made a nice running catch in foul territory against the wall with his back to the plate.  He wheeled and threw a seed to Molina, who tagged out Swisher (again) for a 9-2 double play (replays show that Swisher may have gotten his foot in there before the tag).  Assist number three for the Jays’ outfielders.

[After original post after-thought: Given that the Yanks marketing team quickly put together stickers, big videoboard announcements and other items to publicize Swisher’s candidacy for the final spot on the AL All-Star roster, perhaps Rob Thomson was confused or merely otherwise influenced to “Send Swish!“]

Things stayed that way until Mo time in the bottom of the 9th.  Mariano Rivera yielded three singles, the last one coming with two out and being the seemingly Rivera trademark shallow CF bloop just over shortstop.  Tie game on a beastly hot day before the Yanks have to fly cross-country.  Oh joy.

After the Yanks managed a measly Swisher single in the bottom of the 9th, David Robertson took over in the top of the 10th.  Bautista singled, Lind walked, and then Edwin Encanarcion popped a sac bunt in the air towards third.  A-Rod let it drop, and with Encanarcion inexplicably watching the play unfold, managed to turn a 5-4-3 DP, leaving Bautista on third.  Lyle Overbay was walked to get to the Master Plate Blocker Molina, who ended the threat with a swinging strikeout.

In the bottom of the 10th, with David Purcey on the mound for the Jays, Cano walked and Cervelli showed Encanarcion how to sacrifice properly.  Granderson K’ed again, but Gardner also walked.  Marcus Thames, fresh off the DL, pinch-hit for Pena and blooped a single in front of Wise.  This time there would be no play at the plate.  Ballgame.  Pie.  Happy 80th Birthday Mr. Steinbrenner. 7-6 Yanks.