NEW YORK, May 23 (UPI) -- Kelvim Escobar allowed one run and three hits in five innings Friday night as the Toronto Blue Jays handed the New York Yankees their fifth straight home loss, 6-2.
Escobar (2-1) blanked the Yankees after giving up an RBI double to Jason Giambi in the bottom of the first inning. He walked four and struck out four in continuing to make the conversion from closer to starter.
The righthander earned his first win as a starter since Aug. 25, 2001, when he tossed a complete game in a 9-0 win at Baltimore.
Toronto improved to 15-6 in May, clinching a winning month, and won for the eighth time in its last 10 road games.
The defeat dropped New York out of first place in the American League East for the first time this season. The Yankees have lost nine of their last 10 here and fell to just 11-12 overall at Yankee Stadium.
New York owns the best road record in the majors at 18-7.
One night after Andy Pettitte set a career high with his fourth straight loss, Mike Mussina (7-3) dropped his third straight decision. Mussina yielded four runs and seven hits in five innings.
The righthander walked Greg Myers to start the second after being ahead in the count, 0-2, and that triggered a three-run inning for the Blue Jays.
Eric Hinske and Orlando Hudson followed with bloop hits before Mike Bordick slapped a two-run single up the middle to put the Blue Jays ahead. One out later, Frank Catalanatto grounded a single under the glove of shortstop Enrique Wilson that brought in another run.
Mussina gave up an RBI single to Shannon Stewart in the fourth and the Blue Jays scored twice against the Yankees' bullpen.
