TORONTO _ Sonny Gray, quite simply, was the best he's been as a Yankee.
The right-hander, who has confounded Yankees fans and the Yankees themselves with his inconsistency since being acquired before last July's trade deadline, retired the first 12 hitters he faced Wednesday night, en route to eight shutout innings.
And Aaron Judge made sure the outing didn't go to waste, crushing a two-run homer in the 13th inning to help the Yankees to a 3-0 victory over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
The Yankees, who start a three-game series at the Mets on Friday night, improved to 31-9 since their 9-9 start to the season.
Gray, featuring a superb fastball, slider and curveball combination, allowed two hits and zero walks. The 28-year-old, who came in 4-4 with a 5.50 ERA but 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA in five road starts, struck out eight, matching his season high, established here April 1.
The night marked the first time in 25 starts with the Yankees, including the postseason, that Gray did not allow a run.
But Gray's counterpart, right-hander Sam Gaviglio was nearly as good, though the Yankees did get some scoring chances against him over seven scoreless innings. Gaviglio, who stranded six, allowed three hits and three walks, striking out four. The Yankees went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position against the 28-year-old, who was making his first career appearance against the Yankees. Before Judge's homer, the Yankees were 0-for-8 with RISP and had stranded eight.
Brett Gardner singled with one out in the 13th off right-hander Joe Biagini, bringing Judge to the plate. The right fielder, 2-for-23 to that point on this trip, pounced on a hanging 1-and-2 curveball and sent it over the left-center field wall for his 17th homer. Giancarlo Stanton added his 14th homer, a two-out laser to left, to make it 3-0.
Aroldis Chapman allowed a one-out double to Kendrys Morales in the bottom half but still picked up his 15th save.
Before the 13th was all frustration for an offense that appeared as if it would be shut out for the first time this season.
Miguel Andujar, the MLB leader among rookies with 29 extra-base hits, made it 30 with a leadoff double in the 10th against Tyler Clippard on a 1-and-0 changeup. But Austin Romine struck out, Gleyber Torres flied to left and lefty Tim Mayza got Gardner to line out to left.
Stanton worked a two-out walk in the 11th against John Axford and two wild pitches put him on third. Gary Sanchez struck out, however, extending his recent stretch to 4-for-41 that has dropped his average to .202.
After Gray needed just six pitches to get through a perfect bottom of the first, the Yankees put their first runner in scoring position in the second. Stanton led off with a walk and went to second on Sanchez's groundout. Didi Gregorius' groundout moved Stanton to third and Andujar walked. Romine, 9-for-17 with runners in scoring position this season coming in, could not get Stanton in, though through no fault of his own. The catcher hit an absolute rocket toward the middle where second baseman Devon Travis made a diving stop to his right on the one-hopper before flipping to second to force Andujar.
Sanchez, the night's designated hitter, got the first hit of the game with two outs in the fourth, slicing a double down the right-field line.
Sanchez was stranded when Gregorius flied to left.
The Yankees stranded two more in the fifth.
Gray allowed his first hit in the bottom of the fifth when Justin Smoak doubled into the gap in right-center. Morales followed with a single, putting runners at the corners. Kevin Pillar grounded to third and Smoak inexplicably took off for home and was easily thrown out by Andujar. Russell Martin walked to load the bases but Gray shrugged it off, getting Travis to ground into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
