TORONTO — The Blue Jays remain the safe bet to win the AL East, but if not for Greg Bird’s dramatic home run Tuesday night the Yankees already would be making plans to participate in the wild-card part of the postseason program.
Bird’s three-run homer run that lifted the Yankees to an emotional 6-4 victory in 10 innings over the Blue Jays in front of 47,992 at Rogers Centre was the difference between being 4 ½ lengths out and the 2 ½-game deficit entering Wednesday night’s final meeting between the clubs.
Had they lost the Yankees’ chances at a divisional title would have been just about buried.
“Mathematically you are still in it but with the way they play and with us not having a chance to play them [after Wednesday] we would have dug ourselves a deep hole,’’ manager Joe Girardi said after watching his club spit out an early 2-0 lead and Andrew Miller flush a 3-2 advantage in the ninth.
Miller giving up a solo homer to former Yankees prospect Dioner Navarro in the ninth deflated the Yankees who were two outs away from victory.
Yet, it didn’t bury them because Brian McCann opened the 10th with a shift-beating bunt to the left side and pinch-hitter Slade Heathcott reached first on catcher’s interference. Bird, who doubled in the first and struck out twice, crushed Mark Lowe’s 2-2 slider over the right-field fence for a three-run homer and a 6-3 lead.
“I was pretty pumped up, it was a big win for us,’’ said Bird, who was screaming and ripped off his helmet when he was mobbed by an emotional dugout of teammates.
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The three-run homer, Bird’s 10th in 34 games, provided Miller a cushion in the 10th.
“Bird allowed me to pitch differently,’’ said Miller (3-2), who was tagged with a second blown save in 36 chances but posted the victory. He gave up a solo homer to Edwin Encarnacion in the bottom of the 10th.
There was more to the Yankees’ third win in four games.
Luis Severino, who was shelled the last time he faced the Blue Jays, limited them to two runs and three hits in six innings. Carlos Beltran’s eighth-inning homer put the Yankees ahead 3-2. Dellin Betances struck out Encarnacion to end the eighth with the bases loaded courtesy of a single and two walks, a mess created by the Yankees’ setup man.
“I was looking fastball, the guy throws 97,’’ Beltran said of right-hander Liam Hendriks. “I was able to get a good pitch and put a good swing on it.’’
Beltran couldn’t think of a player he has played with or against that reminded him of Bird, but is impressed with the 22-year-old’s approach.
“When he keeps it simple he is better because you have more success than when you complicate things,’’ Beltran said of Bird, who has hit in seven straight games, has homered in three straight and in five of the last seven.
To say that Bird has completely filled Mark Teixeira’s shoes would be a reach. Teixeira was having an MVP-type season when he fractured a bone in his lower right leg in August. Still, the biggest reason the Yankees are within reach of the Blue Jays is the sweet-swinging left-handed hitter who started the season in Double-A Trenton and has made himself at home in the big leagues.
“I am comfortable playing baseball,” Bird said. “I enjoy that every day matters. Winning matters and it makes it fun for me.’’
