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Series Recap: Yankees split with Blue Jays

Traveling north of the border this was a chance for the New York Yankees to step on the throats of the Toronto Blue Jays and build on their first place lead in the AL East. While the Yanks kept the Jays under the .500 mark with a series split, there were probably a couple of innings they would’ve liked to have had back, even with a couple of impressive laugher victories.

GAME 1

In their first game at Toronto, the Yanks completely trounced the Jays right off the rip in a 12-2 romp.

HICKS SIX

Aaron Hicks was locked in all evening and continues to look like a guy who should be in the lineup on a regular basis. The Yanks’ center fielder busted the game open in the first inning with a bases clearing three-run double off Marco Estrada to give New York a 4-0 advantage.

Hicks also notched an RBI-double to right in the seventh and a two-run double to left in the ninth.

SANCHY SULTAN OF SWAT

After being plagued by injuries and a slow start, Gary Sanchez looked locked in a sent some absolute rockets into the seats. The Yanks catcher belted a solo shot to left in the second and sent a two-run laser to left in the fourth. Both of his homers exceeded 110 miles per hour in exit velocity and eclipsed 430 feet in distance.

GRAND GARDY

They grow up so fast, don’t they? Brett Gardner, whose leadoff double got the Yanks going in the first, singled to center in the fourth for career hit No. 1,000. Gardner tied Joe Gordon at No. 40 on the all-time franchise hit list.

STOPPER SABATHIA

If you’re noticing a theme here, Sabathia tends to pick the club up following a loss. CC delivered once again in getting the Yanks on track. Sabathia’s ledger rose to 6-2 with 6.1 frames of one-run, seven strikeout ball.

GAME 2

In the second game, the Yankees fell behind the eight ball and it seemed like every time they generated some offense, the Blue Jays had an answer as the Yanks dropped this one 7-5.

PINEDA SPUTTERS

Michael Pineda logged five frames but was vexed when it came to finishing off hitters and innings alike. Toronto touched him up for 10 hits and five runs, including a pair of home runs by Justin Smoak and Josh Donaldson. While Pineda is lights out with a 2.31 ERA at Yankee Stadium, conversely his ERA spikes to 5.96 on the road.

TWO-RUN TATERS

When you possess the weapon of the long ball, you’re never truly out of a game. Such was the case with the Bronx Bombers in the sixth. AL Rookie of the Month Aaron Judge clocked a two-run shot to right off Francisco Liriano.

Starlin Castro closed the game to 5-4 with a two-run drive of his own to right off Danny Barnes.

SMH

Rather than giving a lift, Jonathan Holder got lifted to left on a solo shot by Donaldson in the home half of the sixth, swinging the momentum back to the Blue Jays.

After the Yanks again pulled within one on a Matt Holliday RBI-double in the seventh, something inexplicable happened. With Adam Warren on, Smoak hit a ball to right which Castro was able to snag but Chris Carter essentially gave up on. By the time Carter backtracked to first, he missed the bag and was charged with an error. Smoak would eventually come around on a sac fly and capped off Toronto’s scoring.

GAME 3

In the third game, the Yankees proved to be the team with more focus. The Bronx Bombers also brought their bats in a 7-0 rout.

CRACKING THE DOOR OPEN

The floodgates would burst later but New York capitalized on Toronto’s miscue in the third. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki botched a grounder hit by Rob Refsnyder. Refsnyder stole second and moved to third on a Gardner fly out to center. Hicks followed with a line hugging RBI-double to right. Judge, the ensuing batter, traded places with Hicks, scalding a ball off the glove of Kevin Pillar in center for an RBI-double.

JORDAN RULES

Evoking comparisons to John Smiley, who was an All-Star and a 20-game winner with the Pittsburgh Pirates and an All-Star with the Cincinnati Reds, Jordan Montgomery was on and deceiving Blue Jays batters. Montgomery hurled six scoreless innings, fanning five and yielding only three hits.

GRILLED CHEESE

When the eighth inning rolled around the Bronx Bombers homered with enough combined distance to give reliever Jason Grilli some frequent flier miles on a plane ticket to Buffalo. In total New York clubbed four home runs, including three consecutive bombs.

Gardner homered to right. Holliday homered to center and upon his return to the dugout exclaimed, “I got you, Gardy,” referencing their equal home run totals of 12 apiece. Castro homered to left. Didi Gregorius capped off the homer barrage with a shot to right.

GAME 4

With an opportunity to steal a game and the series against Marcus Stroman, the Yankees were victimized again by the big bats of Smoak and Donaldson. Depending one one’s perspective, it could be argued the Yanks were fortunate to scrape together a couple of runs or a bad loss given how they were ahead for most of the game. In any event, it was a 3-2 loss for New York.

SCRAPPY YANKEES

New York was able to piece together a couple of runs against Stroman. During the fourth, Judge singled to right, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Luke Maile. Then Holliday, ever clutch with RISP, drilled and RBI-double to center.

In the sixth, it was more small ball and hustle helping the New York offense. Gardner singled to right. Sanchez coaxed a walk. Gardner advanced to third on a Judge fly out to center. On a fielder’s choice groundout to shortstop, Holliday’s hustle down the line enabled him to nullify the double play and plated Gardner.

SEVVY SOLID

One couldn’t ask for much more from Luis Severino. Severino was dialed in, whiffing seven across seven innings, scattering six hits. Yet, a two-run bomb to center in the sixth by Smoak was his undoing.

TYLER FARNSWORTH KYLE CLIPPARD

In fairness to Tyler Clippard, he’s not supposed to be pitching the eighth inning as a setup man. During the eighth, Donaldson took Clippard yard to right for what proved to be the eventual game-winner.

ON DECK

At 32-22 on the campaign, the Yankees are back in the Bronx to host the Boston Red Sox in a three-game series starting Tuesday night.

Pitching probables include Drew Pomeranz vs. Masahiro Tanaka, Rick Porcello vs. CC Sabathia, David Price vs. Michael Pineda.