NEW YORK -- Sensing the seasons dwindling days, the New York Yankees opened their penultimate homestand by falling behind on Masahiro Tanakas seventh pitch of a sunny Labor Day afternoon.Jacoby Ellsbury turned the deficit into a lead on R.A. Dickeys third offering of the day, and New York remained on the periphery of contention for a postseason berth with four weeks remaining.Ellsbury drove a 73 mph knuckleball over the right-field short porch for a two-run homer, then added an RBI single to lead the Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 Monday and keep New York 3 1/2 games back in the AL wild-card race.Its almost imperative, said Brett Gardner, who singled one pitch ahead of Ellsburys seventh homer. At this point, we have to win every series the rest of the way. Weve got to play well, and two-out-of-three is the worst-case scenario for us.Starting a 10-game homestand that includes four games against Tampa Bay and three vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York (71-65) matched its season high of six games over .500.AL East-leading Toronto (77-60), which remained one game ahead of Boston, had been 9-3 against the Yankees this year and won seven of the prior eight matchups. The Blue Jays jumped in front when Devon Travis doubled and Jose Bautista singled, both on 0-2 counts.I felt like I was all over the place, Tanaka said through a translator.Tanaka (12-4) gave up three hits in the first but only one run, helped when Bautista got thrown out at the plate on a grounder, and settled down to win his fifth straight decision.Gardner took a strike in the bottom half and singled to center, and Ellsbury drove a high knuckler 351 feet. Ellsbury had three hits, including two against Dickey that lifted his average against the knuckleballer to .306 (11 for 36).You just try to anticipate it falling back in the zone, Ellsbury said. Last time he threw me a fastball, I hit a triple.Ellsbury added an RBI single in the third, and rookie Travis Austin hit his second double of the game in the fourth, a drive off the wall in left-center that drove in two runs for a 5-1 lead.Tanaka allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings, leaving after a leadoff walk and a fly ball by Dioner Navarro that 6-foot-7 Aaron Judge caught against the top of the right-field wall.Jonathan Holder, who made his big league debut Friday, got an out but walked his next two batters. Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run, opposite-field single to right off Ben Heller for his third hit, and Tommy Layne -- New Yorks third straight rookie reliever -- retired pitch hitter Russell Martin on a looping ball to second baseman Starlin Castro.Dellin Betances, the Yankees sixth pitcher, got three straight outs for his ninth save.Dickey (9-14) allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings on a blustery afternoon, his second shortest start this season. He is 0-6 in his last nine starts at Yankee Stadium.I had a lot of movement on it, he said of his knuckler. Sometimes this games a matter of centimeters, you know, one that gets off the barrel, doesnt get off the barrel and its popped out to right field.MOVING INEric Young Jr. took over Alex Rodriguezs locker stall and Greg Bird moved into Carlos Beltrans. Bird, sidelined all season following surgery in February to repair a right labrum tear, hit in a batting cage for the first time since the operation. He expects to face pitching in the instructional league for two weeks starting Sept. 26 and play in the Arizona Fall League.POWER OUTAGENew York had 15 hits, all singles, in the weekend series at Baltimore, the first big league team to go without an extra-base hit in a series of three games or longer since the Chicago White Sox at Minnesota from Sept. 14-16, 2004. The Yankees had not done that since July 26-28, 1974, also at Baltimore.SLIDINGJudge was 0 for 3 with three strikeouts, dropping his batting average to .169, and has 35 strikeouts in 65 at-bats. ... Didi Gregorius is in a 1-for-19 slump.TOP SPYJohn O. Brennan, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.TRAINERS ROOMYankees: With RHP Chad Green sidelined with an elbow injury, manager Joe Girardi said his starting pitcher Wednesday could be Bryan Mitchell, who broke a toe in spring training and has a 4.29 ERA in six minor league rehabilitation starts. Girardi said his other option was Johnny Wholestaff -- a reference to using a combination of relievers. Green is expected to have a contrast agent MRI on Tuesday. ... OF Aaron Hicks was placed on the 15-day DL with a right hamstring strain, a move retroactive to Thursday.UP NEXTRHP Luis Cessa (4-0) is to start for the Yankees on Tuesday and RHP Aaron Sanchez (13-2) goes for the Blue Jays. Discount Nike Shox Shoes Online . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Nike Shox Cheap China . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. http://www.nikeshoxdiscount.com/ .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Clearance Nike Shox . It is a cliché dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around which teams are better than others. Nike Shox Cheap Free Shipping . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. TAMPA, Fla. -- Jameis Winston is embracing his role as the face of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.If there were any lingering questions about him unquestionably being the leader of the team, the young quarterback is putting them to rest as he prepares for his second NFL season.The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft threw for 4,042 yards and 22 touchdowns as a rookie, helping the Bucs triple their victory total from the previous year.It wasnt enough to save the job of former coach Lovie Smith, who was fired after a 6-10 finish, however the 22-year-olds success spawned optimism that an eight-year playoff drought could end soon.He sets the tone for our team, first-year head coach Dirk Koetter said. We have a lot of good football players on our team, but from a leadership standpoint Jameis sets the tone.With Winston and running back Doug Martin, who rushed for 1,402 yards, leading the way, the Bucs ranked a franchise best fifth in total offense year ago.Tampa Bay spent most of the past six seasons building around four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy in hopes of escaping the NFC South cellar.This offseason, McCoy said he quietly passed the torch to Winston during a private conversation.The face of the franchise came to me and said, `Hey listen, if were going to win we need you to do this. Our quarterback said this is what he needs, this is what Im going to do, McCoy said, declining to provide specific details about what the players discussed.If he feels like thats what our team needs in order for us to win, who am I to tell him, `No, Im not going to do that? I want to win too, McCoy added. Hes an intelliigent guy, young or not.dddddddddddd Very mature, very intelligent. He sits back and he watches and analyzes and hes seeing something that he feels like I can do to help this team be better. Its not hard to do, its a matter of me just doing it.Winston didnt shed much light on the conversation either, saying he simply encouraged McCoy to continue to step up, continue to be who you are -- an accomplished player with a strong voice, on and off the field.I just talked to him after the season, just to get his insight on how I was as a leader, the quarterback said. I believe Gerald is a great leader to this team, and hes not the only leader that weve got. I just know that he has a little bit more in him.Koetter is just excited that the Bucs, who went 2-14 two years ago and havent made the playoffs since 2007, are talking among themselves about leadership at all.The coach added its been fun watching Winstons mature and grow since entering the league.It jumps out at you, Koetter, Tampa Bays offensive coordinator a year ago, said of the quarterback asserting himself more this camp. Jameis is a special guy. I might have been one of the last people on board, but Im fully on board now and its nice. Its a great thing to have.Linebacker Lavonte David likes what hes seen, too.It was something I expected. ... From the first day he got here, he showed why he was that No. 1 pick, David said. 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