Yankees 6, Blue Jays 4: David Phelps threw four strong innings in relief of injured starter Ivan Nova and Brett Gardner homered as host New York beat Toronto for the fourth time in five meetings.

Phelps (1-1) limited Toronto to a run on two hits while striking out nine. Joba Chamberlain worked a scoreless seventh, David Robertson overcame a Jose Bautista solo homer in the eighth and Mariano Rivera loaded the bases in the ninth before striking out Colby Rasmus to secure his eighth save.

Edwin Encarnacion homered twice to lead Toronto, which had its own pitching issues after emergency starter Aaron Laffey lasted just 2 2/3 innings. Laffey, in for regular starter Josh Johnson, surrendered two runs on two hits while walking five.

The Yankees took the lead for good in the fourth as former Blue Jay Lyle Overbay broke a 2-2 deadlock with a triple to center field. Overbay came around to score on a wild pitch from Brad Lincoln (0-1), who surrendered two runs on a hit and a walk in his inning of work.

Toronto closed to within a run on Encarnacion's blast to left-center in the sixth, but Robinson Cano restored the two-run advantage by scoring on a passed ball in the seventh and Gardner's solo shot in the eighth countered Bautista's home run in the top half of the inning.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Nova, who left after just two innings with elbow pain, was charged with two runs on four hits. C Francisco Cervelli also left the game after suffering a broken hand in the first inning. He's expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks. ... Johnson was scratched early Friday with right triceps tightness. The team said it was a precautionary move, and is confident the hard-throwing right-hander won't miss additional time. ... Laffey threw just 23 of his 55 pitches for strikes.