Series Recap: Yankees bats, bullpen, brush back Blue Jays

TORONTO, Ont. — The New York Yankees capped off an impressive road trip, posting a 5-1 ledger against the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. The offense and bullpen stepped up big time, as the Yankees took care of business in Ontario.

GAME 1

When Jameson Taillon went down early, this game had all the trappings of unraveling. However, the fresh bullpen stepped up and the Bomber bats bustled to a 7-2 rout.

A Bo Bichette RBI single got the Blue Jays jump-started in the first frame. The Yankees countered in the third inning, as Aaron Judge drilled an oppo taco full-count fastball from Hyun Jin Ryu for the equalizer.

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Toronto regained the lead with a Corey Dickerson RBI double to right off Michael King.

Yet, it would be a short-lived advantage, as New York opened up the scoring in the fifth frame. Anthony Rizzo sliced an RBI single to left and Judge lifted a sacrifice fly to right for the go-ahead run.

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In the seventh inning, Giancarlo Stanton launched one to Niagara Falls off a 2-2 changeup from Trevor Richards to left. The three-run shot increased the advantage to 6-2.

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For good measure in the ninth inning, Gio Urshela smacked an oppo taco homer off Anthony Castro.

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Following King, the combination of Clay Holmes, Chad Green, Luis Severino, and Wandy Peralta forged four flawless frames to shut down the Blue Jays.

GAME 2

The Yankees were set up to bury the Blue Jays but Gerrit Cole was clearly injured/off. A major defensive blunder didn't help matters either. New York rallied but fell short, 6-5.

A Marcus Semien two-run tater to left-center boosted the Blue Jays to a 2-0 edge in the first frame. During the second stanza, a George Springer lined an RBI single to left. Bichette was back in the third inning, smoking a solo homer to center for a 4-0 advantage.

The Yankees would start their climb back in the fifth frame. An Urshela RBI single to center, coupled with a Brett Gardner RBI double to right, off Jose Berrios, cut the deficit in half.

However, in the home half, there would be a costly mishap. Springer "doubled" to left on a ball that should've been caught by Joey Gallo. Springer would later trade places with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on his one-out double to make it 5-2.

New York chipped away with a Judge sac-fly in the sixth inning. In the seventh inning, the Yankees benefitted from a Blue Jays miscue. Facing Tim Mayza, Gallo was hit by a pitch. Gleyber Torres reached on an infield single. With one down, a wild pitch on a Luke Voit strikeout enabled both runners to move up. Tying the contest was Kyle Higashioka with a two-run single to left.

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One positive sign was the return of Jonathan Loaisiga and his scoreless seventh inning of work.

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Unfortunately, the Yankees couldn't hold Bichette in the yard, as he took Holmes deep to right-center in the eighth inning for the eventual winner.

GAME 3

Much like the Yanks felt Wednesday, the Jays were likely licking their chops on Thursday with ace Robbie Ray toeing the slab. However, the Bronx Bombers were very economical with their six hits and turned the SkyDome into a launchpad, winning 6-2.

During the first frame, Judge crushed a first-pitch fastball to center or Lake Ontario, it was a bomb for the 1-0 edge.

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However, the night wasn't long for Corey Kluber. Toronto tied the score on a Dickerson RBI double to right in the second stanza. Guerrero Jr. posted the Blue Jays to a 2-1 advantage with an RBI double off the top of the wall in center in the fifth frame.

That deficit wouldn't last for long. In the sixth inning, Rizzo raked a solo smash to right for the equalizer.

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The ensuing batter Judge tattooed one to center for a 3-2 edge.

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Later in the frame, it was vintage Torres, clobbering a two-run tater to center as well.

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Capping off the scoring was a Gardner homer to right off Julian Merryweather in the ninth inning.

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Again, the bullpen carried it home with 4.1 scoreless frames from King, Severino, Green and Aroldis Chapman.

ON DECK

At 91-68, the Yankees return home to face the Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game set at Yankee Stadium starting Friday evening.

Pitching probables, Shane McClanahan vs. Nestor Cortes, Shane Baz vs. Jordan Montgomery, Michael Wacha vs. TBD.