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Series Recap: Yankees blast Blue Jays in sweep

The New York Yankees finished their homestand with an exclamation point against the Toronto Blue Jays. A three-game sweep made for a 9-1 homestand, their best stretch on a 10-game homestand since 2009. The Bronx Bombers kept swatting the ball and like the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers in 1992, refused to punt.

GAME 1

From a blowout to too close for comfort, the Yankees staved off the Blue Jays with a 10-8 victory.

STOPPER SABATHIA STRONGER

CC Sabathia put the pinstripes back on the right track Monday evening. Aside from a pair of a RBI-doubles to right by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Rowdy (love that name) Tellez, to give the Jays a 2-0 lead in the first, the stalwart southpaw got stronger as the game progressed.

Sabathia had his cutter and slider working to aplomb, registering nine K’s against the Jays. The veteran lefty additionally scattered six hits and walked two on his six-inning ledger.

HICKS HITS HISTORY TO THE STICKS

During the fifth, the Bronx Bombers battered Aaron Sanchez figuratively and literally. Brett Gardner smashed a groundout off Sanchez to start the frame. DJ LeMahieu followed with a one-out single to center. LeMahieu recorded his third hitting streak of 10 games or more this season. Luke Voit followed with a rip single to left. The ensuing batter Aaron Hicks smacked a three-run tater to the porch, providing the pinstripes with a 3-2 edge.

Hicks’ homer helped the Bombers tie an MLB-record set by the 2002 Texas Rangers with 27 consecutive games with a team home run.

LIKE A G6TH

The Bombers were back for more in the sixth. Didi Gregorius set the table with a single to right. Gleyber Torres gave the Yankees a pair of runners in scoring position with a double to right. Gio Urshela plated Gregorius on an infield single to third. A Gardner force out plated Torres. LeMahieu chased Sanchez with a single to left. With Derek Law on, Voit ripped an RBI-double to left. The ensuing batter Hicks would coax a walk.

Giancarlo Stanton would top off the frame with his first home run of the season. Stanton’s three-run bomb pop to center gave the Bombers a 10-2 lead.

HOLD THE PHONE

Jonathan Holder, who would be optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the game, was completely lost and nearly gave the game away in the eighth. Holder’s evening began by yielding a solo homer to left-center by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and ended by surrendering a grand slam to right-center by Freddy Galvis.

Chad Green would strike out the side around two singles to retire the side.

In the ninth, Aroldis Chapman would let up a run to make it 10-8 but a nice play by Urshela at third would seal the deal.

GAME 2

The Yankees jumped out front early and stayed one step ahead of the Blue Jays in a 4-3 win. It was also a history-making victory as the Bronx Bombers left the park in 28 consecutive games. Unfortunately, Stanton would get banged up sliding into third and would have to be placed on the IL, which evoked nightmares of Derek Jeter sliding into Ken Huckaby at third base in Toronto in 2003.

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THE CHASE FOR 28

Time and history wait for no one and the Bronx Bombers didn’t mess around against Clayton Richard during the first frame. Leading off LeMahieu crushed a 2-2 slider to the second deck in left. The smash set a new MLB-record for a team with 28 consecutive games with a home run.

The ensuing batter Judge proved to be all the way back by belting a solo smash to right-center, doubling the lead to 2-0.

During the third Torres went oppo taco as well, crushing a 0-1 fastball for a 3-0 lead.

PEN AGAIN

Necessity is the mother of invention and for better or worse the opener worked in the Yanks favor Tuesday night. Green got the job done in the first and probably could’ve gong two innings if he hadn’t had to pitch the evening prior. Nestor Cortes Jr. slowed the game down and fanned five in 4.1 frames, yielding two runs on four hits.

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During the sixth, Galvis singled to right and Danny Jansen doubled to left to put runners in scoring position for Toronto. An Eric Sogard sac fly to left got the Jays on the board. A Guerrero Jr. single to right cut the pinstripes advantage to 3-2.

After allowing a single in relief of Cortes Jr., Tommy Kahnle whiffed two and squashed the Blue Jays threat.

Stephen Tarpley and Zack Britton would also throw up a scoreless frame apiece.

WALK THE HAWK?

Sometime this past weekend a hawk has been perching itself in various locations including flags and foul poles at Yankee Stadium.

In the eighth inning, facing Tim Mayza, parrot walker Edwin Encarnacion clubbed a 2-2 fastball to right, increasing the Bronx Bombers advantage to 4-2.

CHAP HANGS ON

Living on the edge, Chapman was able to stave off the Blue Jays once again. After Gurriel Jr. singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch, Cavan Biggio reached on catcher interference. Following a pair of strikeouts, Chapman yielded an RBI-single to center by Randal Grichuk. Yet, Chapman was able to induce a groundout to second by Galvis to end the game.

GAME 3

It wasn’t easy but as much of a hole as they were dug into, the Yankees lineup refused to be buried. No punts allowed. Battling back on multiple occasions, New York ended the afternoon with an 8-7 walk-off in the ninth.

PAXTOFF

I’m not sure what’s wrong with James Paxton but he was absolutely crushed by the Blue Jays. Paxton was roughed up for six runs on eight hits, four walks, and three home runs, fanning three. With no control, a three-run homer to left-center by Gurriel Jr. posted the Jays to an early lead in the first. A two-run tater to left by Jansen increased the margin to 5-0 in the second stanza. Even after the Yankees battled back, Paxton couldn’t return the favor as he was victimized by another Gurriel Jr. home run in the fifth.

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29 IS FINE

Facing Trent Thornton in the second, Didi Gregorius decided to keep the homer streak going, getting the Bombers on the board with a solo shot to center.

Later in the frame, the pinstripes pulled within two as Judge drove a two-run single to left.

LE MACHINE

After Torres reached on a single to right in the fourth, LeMahieu smacked the equalizer into right for a two-run tater. His third home run in four games.

HUSTLE RUN

Facing Sam Gaviglio in the fifth, a one-out hustle double to left-center by Encarnacion put the pinstripes in business. A Gregorius single to right advanced Encarnacion to third. Hicks knotted the contest at six by lifting a sac fly RBI to right.

LUKIE FINDS A COOKIE

Facing Joe Biagini in the sixth, the Yankees finally took their first lead. A pair of two-out singles by Judge and Sanchez set the Yankees up nicely. Voit ripped an RBI-single to left to make it 7-6.

BULLPEN BENDS BUT DOESN’T QUITE BREAK

Even with two days off Aaron Boone didn’t appear eager to push his arms out of the pen. David Hale worked 1.2 scoreless frames. Adam Ottavino struck out the heart of the order in the seventh. Tarpley, with some help from Sanchez, tossed a scoreless eighth. Britton was shakey but didn’t get much help from his defense.

In the ninth, a Jansen single started the Toronto offense. A passed ball enabled the pinch runner McKinney to advance to second. An RBI-single to left by Biggio tied the game at seven. After a botched potential double play, Britton recorded a 6-6-3 double-play and induced a groundout to squelch any further damage.

GLEYBERADE SHOWER

Facing Nick Kingham in the ninth, the Yankees offense responded. Gregorius nubbed an infield single with one out. Hicks followed with a walk. Torres ended the game with a walk-off RBI-single to right and the Yankees won 8-7.

ON DECK

At 52-28, the Yankees travel to London to take on the Boston Red Sox for a two-game affair.

Pitching probables, Masahiro Tanaka vs. Rick Porcello, Chad Green vs. Eduardo Rodriguez.