TORONTO -The Yankees lost their starting pitcher in the third inning and a chance to make up ground in the standings.

Jaret Wright left after being hit on the right elbow by a broken bat, and the Toronto Blue Jays ended New York’s six game winning streak with a 6-5 victory yesterday.

Wright isn’t sure if he’ll be able to make his next scheduled start, which would be next weekend at home against Toronto.

“It’s sore and tight. It’s kind of throbbing,” he said. “It hit right on the bone on the back of the elbow.”

Alex Rodriguez hit his AL-leading 44th home run and Derek Jeter also connected for the Yankees, who fell 1 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the wildcard race but remained 1 1/2 back of first place Boston in the AL East.

Jeter struck out looking against Miguel Batista with a runner on second to end it, the eighth time this season he made the final out of a game with the potential tying run on base.

Wright came out after being hit by Eric Hinske’s broken bat, the latest bit of bad luck for a pitcher who has had more than his share throughout his roller-coaster career.

First baseman Jason Giambi also de parted in the fourth because of back spasms. Giambi plans to play tonight against Baltimore.

Hinske’s bat broke as he grounded out to first. Wright tried to brace himself but stepped right in the path of the barrel, which bruised and cut his right elbow. He fell down holding his arm.

Wright tested his elbow by throwing some warmup pitches, but was replaced by Al Leiter. X-rays were negative. Manager Joe Torre didn’t like what he saw when Wright threw the warmup pitches.

“Everything was up,” Torre said. “I know he wanted to stay in the game but I think it was the best thing to do.”

The early exit forced the Yankees to use three relievers.

Wright (5-3) allowed four runs – three earned – and five hits in 2 1/3 innings. The right-hander, signed to a $21 million, three-year deal last offseason, went 2-2 with a 9.15 ERA in three April starts before missing nearly four months with a shoulder injury. After he came back, he was knocked out of a game in Seattle on September 1 when he was hit in the collarbone by a line drive. Wright was able to make his next start, however.

“If you got something that is bruised or tight it affects you a lot more than being hit in the neck,” he said.

Leiter allowed one run and three hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Vernon Wells had three hits and had two RBIs for the Blue Jays, who ended a three-game skid.

Former Yankees starter Ted Lilly (9-10) won for the first time since July 19. The 29-year-old left-hander, sidelined in August because of a shoulder injury, allowed three runs – two earned – and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one.

Hinske hit an RBI single in the first, and the Blue Jays scored three runs in the second on Russ Adams’s RBI grounder and Wells’ two-run single.

Rodriguez hit his two-run homer off the left-field foul screen in the third.

Hinske added an RBI grounder in the fifth, giving Toronto a 5-2 lead.

Jorge Posada chased Lilly with an RBI single in the seventh. Jeter led off the eighth with a homer against Justin Speier to cut the lead to 5-4

Corey Koskie added a key insurance run for Toronto with an RBI single off Alan Embree in the eighth.

The Yankees haven’t decided who will be removed from the rotation when Mike Mussina returns from the disabled list Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. “We’re too involved in a pennant race to concern ourselves with uncertainty. The uncertainty fits in with the energy we need to play these final two weeks,” Torre said.