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NEW YORK -- Sensing the seasons dwindling days, the New York Yankees opened their penultimate homestand by falling behind on Masahiro Tanakas seventh pitch of a sunny Labor Day afternoon.Jacoby Ellsbury turned the deficit into a lead on R.A. Dickeys third offering of the day, and New York remained on the periphery of contention for a postseason berth with four weeks remaining.Ellsbury drove a 73 mph knuckleball over the right-field short porch for a two-run homer, then added an RBI single to lead the Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 Monday and keep New York 3 1/2 games back in the AL wild-card race.Its almost imperative, said Brett Gardner, who singled one pitch ahead of Ellsburys seventh homer. At this point, we have to win every series the rest of the way. Weve got to play well, and two-out-of-three is the worst-case scenario for us.Starting a 10-game homestand that includes four games against Tampa Bay and three vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York (71-65) matched its season high of six games over .500.AL East-leading Toronto (77-60), which remained one game ahead of Boston, had been 9-3 against the Yankees this year and won seven of the prior eight matchups. The Blue Jays jumped in front when Devon Travis doubled and Jose Bautista singled, both on 0-2 counts.I felt like I was all over the place, Tanaka said through a translator.Tanaka (12-4) gave up three hits in the first but only one run, helped when Bautista got thrown out at the plate on a grounder, and settled down to win his fifth straight decision.Gardner took a strike in the bottom half and singled to center, and Ellsbury drove a high knuckler 351 feet. Ellsbury had three hits, including two against Dickey that lifted his average against the knuckleballer to .306 (11 for 36).You just try to anticipate it falling back in the zone, Ellsbury said. Last time he threw me a fastball, I hit a triple.Ellsbury added an RBI single in the third, and rookie Travis Austin hit his second double of the game in the fourth, a drive off the wall in left-center that drove in two runs for a 5-1 lead.Tanaka allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings, leaving after a leadoff walk and a fly ball by Dioner Navarro that 6-foot-7 Aaron Judge caught against the top of the right-field wall.Jonathan Holder, who made his big league debut Friday, got an out but walked his next two batters. Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run, opposite-field single to right off Ben Heller for his third hit, and Tommy Layne -- New Yorks third straight rookie reliever -- retired pitch hitter Russell Martin on a looping ball to second baseman Starlin Castro.Dellin Betances, the Yankees sixth pitcher, got three straight outs for his ninth save.Dickey (9-14) allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings on a blustery afternoon, his second shortest start this season. He is 0-6 in his last nine starts at Yankee Stadium.I had a lot of movement on it, he said of his knuckler. Sometimes this games a matter of centimeters, you know, one that gets off the barrel, doesnt get off the barrel and its popped out to right field.MOVING INEric Young Jr. took over Alex Rodriguezs locker stall and Greg Bird moved into Carlos Beltrans. Bird, sidelined all season following surgery in February to repair a right labrum tear, hit in a batting cage for the first time since the operation. He expects to face pitching in the instructional league for two weeks starting Sept. 26 and play in the Arizona Fall League.POWER OUTAGENew York had 15 hits, all singles, in the weekend series at Baltimore, the first big league team to go without an extra-base hit in a series of three games or longer since the Chicago White Sox at Minnesota from Sept. 14-16, 2004. The Yankees had not done that since July 26-28, 1974, also at Baltimore.SLIDINGJudge was 0 for 3 with three strikeouts, dropping his batting average to .169, and has 35 strikeouts in 65 at-bats. ... Didi Gregorius is in a 1-for-19 slump.TOP SPYJohn O. Brennan, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.TRAINERS ROOMYankees: With RHP Chad Green sidelined with an elbow injury, manager Joe Girardi said his starting pitcher Wednesday could be Bryan Mitchell, who broke a toe in spring training and has a 4.29 ERA in six minor league rehabilitation starts. Girardi said his other option was Johnny Wholestaff -- a reference to using a combination of relievers. Green is expected to have a contrast agent MRI on Tuesday. ... OF Aaron Hicks was placed on the 15-day DL with a right hamstring strain, a move retroactive to Thursday.UP NEXTRHP Luis Cessa (4-0) is to start for the Yankees on Tuesday and RHP Aaron Sanchez (13-2) goes for the Blue Jays. Wholesale Shoes China . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. Cheap Shoes From China . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. http://www.cheapshoesclearance.com/ . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Cheap Clearance Shoes . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. Shoes From China Online . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. CINCINNATI, Ohio -- One of the NLs best closers was one strike away from a milestone save. Devin Mesoraco and Shin-Soo Choo turned everything upside down in a span of five pitches. Mesoraco homered on a full-count pitch from Craig Kimbrel with two outs in the ninth inning on Tuesday night, and Choo followed with his second homer of the game, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves. So sudden, and so shocking for everyone. "Hes the best closer in the league," said Choo, whose second career game-ending homer gave him a team-high seven this season. "This is a big game for us." Cincinnatis offence has been struggling the last couple of weeks. The Reds were one strike away from another low-scoring loss after Kimbrel (0-1) fanned the first two batters in the ninth and went to a full count on Mesoraco. Mesoraco hasnt done much pinch hitting, but remembered something that manager Dusty Baker had advised about those pressure situations. "Dusty says with two strikes, look for their hardest pitch away," Mesoraco said. "I stayed on it." Centre fielder B.J. Upton drifted toward the wall and jumped, the ball narrowly clearing his glove and landing in the first row at one of the majors most homer-friendly ballparks. "That was incredible," Mesoraco said of his first career pinch-hit homer. "I watched (Upton). Once he looked up, it was a pretty good feeling." Kimbrel is only one save away from No. 100 for his career. Hed blown a save last Friday by giving up his first homer of the season, a shot by David Wright that tied it in the ninth. The Mets went on to win 7-5 in 10 innings. He gave up his second and third homers in quick succession Tuesday. "All around, its frustrating," said Kimbrel, who is 10 of 13 in save chances. "Ive blown three saves. Those are wins we should have had." Jonathan Broxton (1-1) retired three batters in the ninth for Cincinnatis fourth win in five games. The comeback gave Dusty Baker his 1,600th victory as a manager, moving him ahead of Tommy Lasorda for 18th place on the career list. "Thats one of the best I can remember of the 1,600," Baker said. "It might be the top." The Braves led from the first inning untill Kimbrels last few pitches.dddddddddddd Brian McCann singled with the bases loaded in the first inning -- the first hit of his injury-shortened season -- as the Braves pulled ahead 3-0 against Homer Bailey. Kris Medlen limited Cincinnati to four hits in seven innings, including Choos solo homer. Medlen has five quality starts in his seven appearances, but only one win. Mesoracos homer snatched away another. "Anytime were here, the ballpark is kind of an excuse," Medlen said. "But that Mesoraco fly ball is a fly-ball out in a lot of places." For the second game in a row, a Reds starter lasted a season-low five innings. Bronson Arroyo gave up four runs in a 7-4 loss in the series opener Monday night. Bailey allowed four runs on five hits and four walks in five innings, leaving for a pinch hitter in the fifth. Donald Lutz batted for Bailey and singled home a run that cut it to 4-2. Joey Vottos double in the sixth extended his hitting streak to 10 games, the longest by a Reds player this season. Brandon Phillips sacrifice fly in the eighth cut it to 4-3. The series matches the NLs top two teams at striking out. The Braves lead the league with 297, the Reds are next at 268. Cincinnatis Jay Bruce, who leads the NL with 49 strikeouts, fanned with Votto on third base in the sixth inning. Todd Frazier struck out with two aboard in the eighth. Andrelton Simmons hit a pair of homers in the series opener and moved up from eighth in Atlantas batting order to leadoff. He opened the game with a double and scored the first run. He also made a sensational play in the fourth, diving for a grounder in the hole at shortstop and throwing out Bruce at first. Simmons also made a barehand catch-and-throw to get Choo at first base in the eighth. NOTES: The game started after a 35-minute rain delay. ... Braves OF Jason Heyward, who had an appendectomy on April 22, took batting practice before the game. The Braves will decide by the end of the week whether hes ready to start a rehab assignment. ... Reds C Ryan Hanigan started a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville. Hes been on the 15-day DL since April 21 with a strained left oblique. ... Jack Hannahan made his fourth start, all at third base. ... It was Choos eight career multi-homer game. ' ' '