Mark Teixeira injures calf as Yankees lose in 11

The Yankees absorbed two blows Monday night.

One was a stinging 8-7, 11-inning loss to the Blue Jays at the Stadium after Rafael Soriano gave up a go-ahead three-run homer by Colby Rasmus with two outs in the top of the ninth.

Derek Jeter's homer in the bottom of the ninth tied the score before Derek Lowe's errant pickoff throw in the 11th set the stage for Toronto to win it, allowing the Orioles to climb within 3½ games of the Yankees (74-54).

But in long-range terms, a reminder of what the Yankees' primary minefield could be during the rest of the regular season came in the top of the fifth.

A half-inning earlier, Mark Teixeira appeared to hurt himself when he fouled a ball off. He stayed in the game -- he drew a walk and did not appear to be running well while scoring on Russell Martin's single in a three-run fourth -- but Eric Chavez replaced him to start the fifth.

After the game, the results of an MRI at New York-Presbyterian Hospital were announced: a Grade 1 left calf strain.

Outside the Yankees' clubhouse about 10 minutes after the game, when asked if Teixeira will have to go on the disabled list, general manager Brian Cashman said, "That's definitely a possibility,'' though that was before he saw the MRI.

After he saw it, Cashman said in an email: "Will think about DL vs. playing short till Sept. 1,'' when the rosters expand.

Joe Girardi said he doesn't see Teixeira playing again in this series and "maybe not the next series, the way I saw him run. Calves can be really tricky. I'm concerned.''

Teixeira already was battling a sore left wrist before suffering this more serious injury, one he said "could be seven days, could be two weeks.''

"I knew something wasn't right,'' Teixeira said of how he felt after scoring. "It was severe enough that I knew I needed to get out of the game . . . The MRI showed a Grade 1. It's not a Grade 2, which is a month or more. That would be worrisome. We just have to take care of it. If it's a week, great. If it's two weeks, not as great, but I still have plenty of the season left.''

Jeter suffered a similar injury last season, a Grade 1 strain in his right calf, and was on the DL from June 14-July 4.

Teixeira joins Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Brett Gardner, Ivan Nova and Andy Pettitte as front-line Yankees who have suffered injuries that have cost a number of games or required a DL stint.

"You know how many teams have had injuries?'' Jeter said. "Boston's had injuries, Toronto's had injuries. Seems like every team in our division. It's part of the game. Injuries are part of it. You've got to play through it.''

The game itself was a roller-coaster affair for the Yankees, who got two homers from Robinson Cano and a two-run shot by Nick Swisher and held a 6-4 lead with two outs in the top of the ninth. Soriano gave up the go-ahead homer by Rasmus, but Jeter responded with his 14th home run off closer Casey Janssen, the Yankees' fourth homer of the game. He had been 0-for-13 against Janssen.

Yorvit Torrealba led off the 11th with a single and pinch runner Mike McCoy went to third when Chavez couldn't dig out Lowe's pickoff throw. Though Lowe was correctly charged with an error, it was fair to wonder if it was a throw the Gold Glove-winning Teixeira would have stopped. But Lowe said, "It's inexcusable,'' taking responsibility for the error.

After Lowe struck out Moises Sierra, No. 9 hitter Adeiny Hechavarria hit a slow roller to Jayson Nix at third. Nix charged the ball and didn't look McCoy back as he threw to first. McCoy broke for home and beat Chavez's throw to the plate to give the Jays an 8-7 lead.

Don't blame Nix, Jeter said. "Jayson made a good play on it,'' he said. "[McCoy] initially went back to third and then changed his mind. That's pretty difficult to do, to start, stop and then start again. Good play on their part.''