TORONTO -- Francisco Liriano struggled with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but since being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 1, things are looking up for the left-hander.

"It's not how you start, it's how you finish," Liriano said. "So things have been working pretty well for me."

Liriano (8-13) started and finished well Friday night, working out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning to pitch six strong innings in the Blue Jays' 9-0 victory over the New York Yankees.

He allowed three hits and two walks while striking out six to even his record to 2-2 with a 3.35 ERA in nine games (seven starts) since the trade.

He had ample support with Troy Tulowitzki driving in four runs with a pair of singles, Jose Bautista hitting a two-run double and Josh Donaldson socking a two-run homer.

"I thought he mixed his pitches, his changeup and his slider and his fastball," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's got good velocity, he's got movement to it, and he's got deception. We just weren't able to put much together."

It was the fifth quality start in seven starts with Toronto for Liriano, who had seven quality starts in 21 turns with Pittsburgh, where he was 6-11 with a 5.46 ERA.

In Toronto, he has been reunited with catcher Russell Martin, who was with the Pirates for two seasons.

"Russ has caught me a lot," Liriano said. "I know him, I pitched to him for two years in Pittsburgh. We're always on the same page, we have great communication, he knows how to mix the pitches and he's helped me a lot lately."

"You always like to score a lot of runs that makes it easier on the team, the manager and the coaches," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "I thought Liriano was really, really good. We just did some good things offensively tonight. It was really a well-played game."

The Blue Jays (84-69) maintained their hold on the first American League wild-card spot while dealing a blow to the wild-card chances of the Yankees (79-74).

The Blue Jays are one game ahead of the Detroit Tigers, who hold the second wild-card spot. The Yankees dropped to four games behind the Tigers. Baltimore is one-half game behind Detroit.

"Things are kind of slipping away at this point," Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner said. "We're not out of it but we're definitely not in a good position. It's frustrating."

Yankees starter Bryan Mitchell (1-2) allowed three runs (one earned), six hits and four walks in six innings. The right-hander struck out two.

"I didn't think he had real good command of his fastball early in the game and it kind of got him in a little bit of trouble," Girardi said. "As the game went on, he got better and better.''

Joaquin Benoit replaced Liriano in the seventh and walked his first batter, Aaron Hicks. He then induced a double-play grounder to first from pinch-hitter Brian McCann and ended the inning on a foul out to third by Ronald Torreyes.

Blake Parker replaced Mitchell in the seventh and allowed a leadoff bunt single to Ezequiel Carrera that started a four-run rally.

Devon Travis followed with a single to center to put runners at the corners. Donaldson fouled out to moderate right. Carrera held at third and Travis went to second when McCann could not handle the throw home.

Edwin Encarnacion was intentionally walked and Jose Bautista scorched a two-run double to left give the Blue Jays a 5-0 lead. Russell Martin walked to load the bases.

Tulowitzki grounded a two-run single to right to stretch the lead to 7-0.

James Pazos finished the inning for the Yankees.

Brett Cecil pitched a perfect eighth for Toronto.

Donaldson hit his 36th homer of the season in eighth against Ben Heller after Travis led off with a double.

Danny Barnes retired the side in order in the ninth for the Blue Jays.

Each team loaded the bases in the first inning and the Blue Jays emerged with a 2-0 lead.

The Yankees failed to cash in when Chase Headley struck out to end the inning after a two-out double by Gary Sanchez and walks to Billy Butler and Didi Gregorius.

Butler's error on a one-out grounder to first by Donaldson, a single by Encarnacion, a two-out walk by Martin and a two-run single by Tulowitzki gave Toronto its first-inning lead.

The Blue Jays took a 3-0 lead in the second on singles by Kevin Pillar and Carrera, a sacrifice by Travis and walks by Donaldson and Encarnacion.

NOTES: Toronto LHP Francisco Liriano was the eighth left-handed starter the Yankees have faced in their past 10 games. ... By sweeping the Blue Jays in a three-game series at Yankee Stadium Sept. 5-7, New York ended a string of six straight series losses to Toronto. ... Toronto 2B Devon Travis was 0-for-4 with a walk Wednesday in the 12-inning, 2-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners to end a 17-game hit streak, the Blue Jays' longest of the season. Travis batted .392 during that span. ... Yankees C Gary Sanchez was 0-for-2 with two walks Thursday in the 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays to end a six-game extra-base hit streak and four-game home run streak. ... Blue Jays RHP Marcus Stroman (9-9, 4.50 ERA) faces Yankees LHP CC Sabathia (8-12, 4.19 ERA) in the second contest of the four-game series Saturday.