The New York Yankees finished off their final home series much like many anticipated they’d start the season, with Giancarlo Stanton mashing and Luis Severino smoking. That power hitting and power pitching added up to the pinstripes taking two of three from the Toronto Blue Jays, finishing the season 57-24 at Yankee Stadium, where they went 20-0-2 in their past 22 series and where they will open the ALDS.
GAME 1
The Yankees didn’t play terribly, but the figurative and literal hangover resulted in a 4-3 loss.
HEART ATTACK CITY
All of Yankees Twitter needed an ambulance to Montefiore during the fourth inning. After Cavan Biggio started the inning with a double to right off J.A. Happ. With one out, Vladimir Guerrero lined an RBI-single up the middle, knocked down by Gleyber Torres, who slipped and lost his footing and looked like he blew out his knee. Torres appeared to tweak his knee last week at Toronto. While he would remain in the game and bat again, Torres would later be lifted for Gio Urshela.
JUDGE PULLS IT TOGETHER
Aaron Judge’s shoulder appeared to be fine against Jacob Waguespack in the home half. Judge slugged home run No. 25 to left for the equalizer.
Look out, left field. #AllRise pic.twitter.com/AZXyQ2kuw6
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 21, 2019
SHORT-LIVED LEAD
Yet, the Jays would strike back in the fifth, as Danny Jansen took Happ deep to left-center as Toronto regained the advantage at 2-1.
Just smile and wave, everybody.
Smile and wave 👋 pic.twitter.com/2xHVzZh2UV
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 21, 2019
PUNCH DRUNK WADE
If you checked out his Instagram, Tyler Wade was deservedly having a good time during the Yanks A.L. East clinching party. Playing left-field, Wade helped the Bronx Bombers punch back in the home half. Brett Gardner led off the inning with an infield single to third. With two down, Wade socked a two-run tater to right, providing the pinstripes with their first lead at 3-2.
Wade-ing for Tonight. pic.twitter.com/ulZDpfykpl
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 21, 2019
SLIP SLIDIN’ AWAY
As Paul Simon once sang, you know the nearer your destination, the more you’re slip slidin’ away. Mr. Slip ‘N Slide, aka Tommy Kahnle, last seen diving headfirst on the clubhouse floor, surrendered a two-run smoke bomb to right-center to Justin Smoak in the seventh inning for the difference-maker.
Blue Jays use Smoakscreen 💨
It's SUPER effective! pic.twitter.com/J65QVo2nKf
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 21, 2019
RUN OUT OF LUCK
During the eighth inning, Cameron Maybin reached on a pinch-hit single but was erased on a strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play with DJ LeMahieu at the plate. It was unfortunate because Judge would follow with a double to left, which may or may not have plated Maybin for the equalizer.
🙅♂️ Swiper No Swiping 🙅♂️#DontRunOnDanny 👓 pic.twitter.com/9JqkWP3cGQ
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 21, 2019
BUMBLING JOE WEST
I know, I know, if baseball went to GPS robot umpires, you’d lose colorful character umpires like Joe West. I mean, let’s be real, when you plunked down your hard-earned money for this game, be honest, you thought, hell yeah, I’m here for some Country Joe! Except, not really.
Check out this pitch to Gardner in the ninth and he’s a freaking savage! Gardner would later fly out and was understandably unhappy. The ball would’ve hit a right-handed batter in the other box. Unreal.
This is sooo egregious https://t.co/AsQkTneGrY
— Ryan Ruocco (@RyanRuocco) September 21, 2019
GAME 2
The second game was a lot more jiggy for the pinstripes. Manager Aaron Boone rallied his troops and got tossed by West all the way from third base after calling out his nonsense. #CountryJoeGottaGo. The Yankees handled their business with a 7-2 victory.
Do your thing Twitter. pic.twitter.com/6I5w8tF8Zv
— Bronx Pinstripes (@BronxPinstripes) September 21, 2019
1010 WINS
James Paxton registered his tenth consecutive victory. The Big Maple hurled six strong innings, allowing one run on three hits while fanning seven. The lone blip came in the third inning. After ex-Yankee Brandon Drury reached on an error by Didi Gregorius at shortstop, Richard Urena singled to third. Following a strikeout of Luke Maile, Jonathan Davis plated a run with a single to left.
1-2-3 Inning to end the SIXTH.
James Paxton DEALING in the BRONX!#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/5U99oARAqJ
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 21, 2019
Otherwise, Paxton was primarily pumping the heater and mixing in the cutter, curve, and change-up to aplomb. Much like Masahiro Tanaka against the Los Angeles Angels, it was another “get on my back” type of outing.
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR FUN
The boys in pinstripes finally solved T.J. Zeuch (like Zoinks Scoob!) in the fourth frame. Judge set the tone with a booming double to left. With one down, Giancarlo Stanton traded places with a hammered double to left for the equalizer. Providing the pinstripes with lead was Mike Ford, as he laid it down on the green in center to plate Stanton with a two-out hit.
STANTON SMASH
Imagine not wanting this guy on your team? In the sixth, Stanton crushed a Brock Stewart offering into the left-field stands. The ball flew 420 feet! Smoke ’em if ya got ’em.
Love to see it!! pic.twitter.com/giZgEtNjNr
— Bronx Pinstripes (@BronxPinstripes) September 21, 2019
With one down, Ford sliced a ground-rule double to left. Trading places was Clint Frazier with a double to left. Wade increased the lead with an RBI-single to right. Following suit was Kyle Higashioka with a two-run single to right.
HIGASHIOKA breaks it OPEN!
A 2-run single makes it 6-1 Bronx Bombers.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/sb77AHh3CP
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 21, 2019
The Yanks seventh run would come in the seventh, as Ford plated Cameron Maybin with a single to right off Jordan Romano.
BLAZING BULLPEN
Jonathan Loaisiga wants a postseason roster spot. Johnny Lasagna fanned five, yielding one run on three hits in two innings.
FIVE strikeouts in TWO innings for Jonathan Loaisiga!#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/n0RjrYZezy
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 21, 2019
Chad Green struck out the side in the ninth.
GAME 3
The Yankees honored CC Sabathia prior to the game and Luis Severino paid tribute by pitching like vintage 2009 Sabathia. Power pitching and power hitting led the pinstripes to an 8-3 victory in their final home game of the regular season.
Thank you ALL! See you in October!!! pic.twitter.com/EWDjgffDMv
— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) September 22, 2019
SEVY SIZZLES
On the last day of summer, Severino matched and rose above the hot temperature on a Sunday matinee at the Stadium. Severino topped out around 98.5 mph on his fastball, averaging 96.5 mph on the afternoon. That heat coupled with a slider hovering around 86 mph made for a deadly combo, as Severino fanned nine Blue Jays in five scoreless frames, yielding three hits and zero walks.
A healthy Sevy is going to be a #postseason weapon. 👀
(MLB x @Gatorade) pic.twitter.com/uhOJcoCX1X
— MLB (@MLB) September 22, 2019
POWERFUL PINSTRIPES
The Bronx Bombers opened up a can on Toronto opener Wilmer Font.
During the first frame, Jude jolted the Bombers on the board with a solo smash to left-center for a 1-0 lead on home run No. 26.
Aaron Judge. See ya! Yankees on top 1-0 just two batters into the game. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/Pc69Uwr4r0
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 22, 2019
Later in the frame, Gardner walloped a three-run bomb for home run No. 27 to the second deck to increase the lead to 4-0.
It's a Gardy Party in the Bronx! And it's a 4-0 lead for the Yankees! #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/PwJIsf1gPF
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 22, 2019
Toronto changed the font type to Trent Thornton in the second stanza, but he wouldn’t fare much better.
LeMahieu tallied a two-run tater to right-center for homer No. 27 and the Bombers had their touchdown at 6-0.
DJ LeMahieu joins in on the fun! It's a straight home-run party in the Bronx now!
📺 Stream NOW: https://t.co/OQFP67guX3 pic.twitter.com/tB7NPAsn0k
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 22, 2019
A sac fly by Stanton and an RBI-single to center by Voit capped off the New York scoring at 8-0 in the fifth.
ON DECK
At 102-55, the Yankees head to St. Petersburg for a two-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays beginning Tuesday evening.
Pitching probables: TBD vs. TBD, TBD vs. TBD.