Toronto, ON (Best E Casino) - Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez each finished 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI as the New York Yankees used an early barrage of offense to best Toronto, 9-4, in the middle contest of a three-game set at Rogers Centre.

Brett Gardner was 2-for-2, drove in three runs and scored twice for the Yankees, who snapped a two-game slide and have won four of their last six.

"We needed to play well. We needed to do that heading into the break," Jeter noted. "We have another important game tomorrow, but today we swung the bats pretty good."

Darrell Rasner (5-7) pitched well enough to get the win, allowing seven hits and four runs -- three earned -- over five innings. He struck out six and walked only one to record his first win in four starts.

Adam Lind drove in three runs and Marco Scutaro knocked in the other for the Blue Jays, whose four-game win streak came to a halt.

Toronto starter Jesse Litsch (8-6) was burned in defeat for seven hits and eight runs -- three earned -- over just 2 2/3 frames.

"The team got a three-run lead after the first inning, and I gave it back," said a dejected Litsch. "It pretty well put a dagger in us. I was up and down for the first three innings. That's why I had to get out of there early."

New York turned around a three-run deficit by pushing across four in the second on Gardner's RBI base hit, Scutaro's fielding error and a two-run single by Rodriguez that provided a 5-4 advantage.

It was an 8-4 edge for the visitors in the third when Gardner knocked in two with another single and Jeter knocked in Gardner.

Rodriguez launched his 19th of the campaign and 537th career homer to start the fourth. He passed the legendary Mickey Mantle with the blast and is alone in 13th place all time on the home run list.

From there, Rasner worked out of a first-and-second, no-out jam in the home fourth and retired three in a row in the fifth to complete his outing after allowing Brad Wilkerson's leadoff double.

Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras, Kyle Farnsworth and LaTroy Hawkins combined to hold the Blue Jays hitless over the final four innings.

Though Jays ace Roy Halladay threw a two-hit shutout Friday, it took the Yankees just one batter to pick up a run Saturday as Jeter led off the game with his fifth homer of the season and 200th of his career.

Joe Inglett's triple, however, followed by Scutaro's single in the home half knotted the contest. Lyle Overbay then got on base due to catcher's interference and two batters later Wilkerson drew a walk. Scott Rolen fanned for the second out but Lind stroked a triple to deep center that cleared the bases for a 4-1 lead.

Game Notes

The Yankees have won five of the eight meetings this season...Rasner's last win came on June 18, an 8-5 result over the San Diego Padres. He lost three straight starts since then...In his last three starts, Litsch is 0-2 with one no-decision, having surrendered 25 hits and 17 runs (10 earned) in 13 2/3 innings...Following the game, the Yankees announced the death of former player and broadcaster Bobby Murcer at age 62. He spent two stints with the Bombers (1965-74; 1979-83) and was battling brain cancer for the past 18 months. He has been a member of the Yankees' broadcasting team for the better part of the last 24 years.