Frank Menechino and the Toronto Blue Jays showed just the kind of relentless spunk the Yankees have been missing all year.

Menechino came off the bench to drive in three runs, Eric Hinske hit a go-ahead double and Toronto rallied past New York 8-6 yesterday.

Menechino entered in the fourth inning to replace second baseman Orlando Hudson, shaken up after colliding with an umpire.

Shea Hillenbrand had four hits and Corey Koskie homered for the plucky Blue Jays (14-12), aggressive on the bases all weekend. They’ve won five of six following a five-game skid.

Gary Sheffield homered and drove in three runs for the slumping Yankees (10-15), who blew a 6-3 lead and finished 3-6 on their homestand – losing series to the Rangers, Angels, and Jays. The Yankees have lost three straight series at home for the first time since dropping four in a row in May 2003. New York dropped 7 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Baltimore, its largest deficit since September 1997.

“The Baltimore Orioles are not what I’m concerned about. What I’m concerned about is our ball club. We’ve had leads in the past that have disappeared when teams got hot. We have to be that team that gets hot,” manager Joe Torre said after the game.

With the score tied at six, Hillenbrand and Hinske hit consecutive doubles off Mike Stanton (0-1) in the seventh to give Toronto the lead. Hinske stole third and dashed home on Gregg Zaun’s shallow sacrifice fly to center, making it 8-6.

In a matchup of 2004 All-Stars, New York starter Carl Pavano and ex-Yankee Ted Lilly were both ineffective. Pavano gave up six runs on nine hits in five innings of work, while Lilly allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings.

Pete Walker (1-0) pitched 1 2 /3 hitless innings for the win. Scott Schoeneweis retired Jorge Posada with two on to end the seventh, then worked a perfect eighth. Miguel Batista got three straight outs for his seventh save in eight chances.

Sheffield put the Yankees ahead with a two-run double during a four-run fifth. Posada added a sacrifice fly and Hideki Matsui an RBI double to make it 6-3, but Toronto executed a fine relay to throw out Alex Rodriguez at the plate to end the inning.

Sheffield’s homer in the bottom of the fourth made him the first Yankee other than Rodriguez to homer since Derek Jeter and Andy Phillips on April 24.

It didn’t take the Blue Jays long to pull even. They loaded the bases with none out in the sixth, chasing Pavano. Alex Rios hit a sacrifice fly, and Menechino tied it with a two-out, two run single off Paul Quantrill.