Aaron Hicks hit a three-run home run, J.A. Happ allowed one run in seven innings and the visiting New York Yankees avoided a three-game sweep by defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 Thursday night.

The Blue Jays had won the first two games of the three-game set to win their first series since April 26-28.

Gio Urshela added a solo homer for the Yankees, who ended a three-game losing streak.

DJ LeMahieu contributed three hits, a walk and two RBIs for the Yankees.

Eric Sogard homered and doubled for the Blue Jays.

Happ (6-3), a former Blue Jay who was traded to the Yankees on July 26, allowed four hits and had four strikeouts in winning his fifth straight decision over six starts.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 18th save after taking over from Chad Green with the bases loaded and none out in the ninth and limited the damage to one run.

Blue Jays starter Edwin Jackson (0-4) allowed six runs (two earned), two home runs among six hits, and two walks in 3 1/3 innings.

The Yankees scored four unearned runs in the second inning, a rally that started with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s throwing error on Thairo Estrada's two-out grounder to third. Guerrero's throw hit Estrada on the helmet as he ran to first base.

Cameron Maybin singled and LeMahieu stroked an RBI double. Hicks followed with his third home run of the season, a three-run blast to right.

Urshela led off the fourth with his fourth homer of the season. Maybin doubled with one out and scored on LeMahieu's single. Thomas Pannone replaced Jackson and retired the final two batters of the inning.

Sogard hit his fifth home run of the season on the first pitch of the bottom of the sixth.

Pannone allowed one hit and one walk and struck out one over 3 2/3 innings before Tim Mayza replaced him and pitched a perfect eighth with one strikeout.

Green replaced Happ and pitched around a single in the eighth.

The Blue Jays loaded the bases with none out in the ninth on singles by Justin Smoak, Randal Grichuk and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Chapman replaced Green and got a double-play grounder from Teoscar Hernandez as a run scored. Freddy Galvis lined out to end the game.

Toronto's Elvis Luciano had two strikeouts in the top of the ninth and survived a two-out single and walk.

--Field Level Media