Kevin Gausman struck out 10 in six solid innings and the visiting Toronto Blue Jays extended their winning streak to five games by pulling away late for a 6-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.

The Blue Jays (85-67) won fifth straight for the second time this season and first since winning six in a row April 23-29. Toronto beat the Yankees for the 17th time in the past 25 meetings in the Bronx and stayed a game ahead of the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners in the American League wild-card race.

Trying to avoid their first losing season since 1992, the Yankees (76-76) lost their third straight and dropped back to .500. New York was held to five hits and was blanked until rookie Austin Wells hit his first career homer in the ninth.

Gausman (12-9) allowed a single to Oswaldo Cabrera in the second and a double to Wells in the sixth. In between hits, Gausman prevented the Yankees from making consistent contact and notched his third double-digit strikeout performance against New York this season. Gausman fanned 11 in Toronto's 5-1 win in New York April 23 and notched 10 strikeouts in a no-decision May 16 in Toronto.

Bo Bichette hit a pair of RBI singles for the Blue Jays, who were without slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was scratched shortly before the first pitch due to right knee discomfort.

The Blue Jays drew five walks in the eighth and added two runs on a free pass to Spencer Horwitz by Tommy Kahnle and a walk to Whit Merrifield by Ian Hamilton.

The Blue Jays mustered five hits in seven innings off Michael King (4-7), who continued to pitch well in his transition from the bullpen. King set a career high with 13 strikeouts, walked none and allowed three straight two-out hits in the third, including Bichette's infield single that caromed off the right-hander to shortstop Anthony Volpe in the third for a 1-0 lead.

Bichette got his second run-scoring hit in the ninth against Hamilton and Horwitz contributed a two-run single in the three-run inning.

New York struck out 14 times overall and was constantly frustrated with plate umpire Lance Barrett's strike zone. Manager Aaron Boone mouthed "Let's Go" after a called third strike to DJ LeMahieu to start the game and was tossed for the seventh time this year when he argued a called strike to Oswald Peraza in the second.

Former Yankee Chad Green fanned two in the seventh, Jordan Hicks pitched a 1-2-3 eighth before Wells connected against Erik Swanson.

--Field Level Media