Series Recap: Yankees salvage sluggish series against Blue Jays
BRONX, N.Y. — It was a pretty deflating series as the New York Yankees re-entered American League East play against the flailing Dunedin-Buffalo-Toronto Blue Jays. Most of the hitting was done by the injury bug as the Yankees saw Corey Kluber and Luke Voit go down. Their winning and series streaks were broken but at least the Bronx Bombers were able to stave off a sweep.
GAME 1
There was nothing good about this 6-2 Yankee loss.
Kluber's no-hit streak ended at 11 consecutive innings and subsequently, the Yankees' run of consecutive starts with five scoreless frames also snapped. Kluber yielded a two-run homer to right-center to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the third inning. He would not return for a fourth frame, out at least four weeks with a dead shoulder.
The Yankee bullpen was not much better. Michael King allowed a solo swat to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the fourth inning to make it 3-0.
The Yankee offense was worse. This season New York has made ex-New York Mets' pitchers Matt Harvey, Michael Wacha, and Steven Matz look like their realized potential second coming of Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, and Jerry Koosman.
The Blue Jays lefty fanned 10 in 6.2 frames.
New York's offense came via Kyle Higashioka. Higgy's RBI single to left in the sixth inning and a run-scoring double to left against Jason Romano in the ninth inning were all the pinstripes could muster.
GAME 2
Well, at least we didn't have to watch the Yankee lineup not hit for an additional two innings in their 2-0 loss.
Alek Manoah made his MLB debut and New York made him look like the late Roy Halladay. Manoah tossed six scoreless frames. Miguel Andujar collected the two pinstriped hits.
Domingo German was pretty sharp except for the fact that he can't hit either. German fanned five in 5.2 frames. The big blows for the Blue Jays came in the third inning. Consecutive home runs to left by Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette were more than enough for Toronto.
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GAME 3
The Bronx Bombers bats finally woke up in the nightcap for a 5-3 victory.
A Gio Urshela RBI double to left off Robbie Ray in the first frame jumped the Yankees to a 1-0 lead.
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Jordan Montgomery was not lights out as he was in his previous start but one could say he pitched to the scoreboard. The big blow for the Yankee southpaw was yielding a three-run meatball homer to left-center by Bichette in the third inning.
Thankfully the Bombers bopped back quickly in the home half. Following DJ LeMahieu's second single of the contest, Judge, with the chef's kiss off the restaurant in center, homered for the equalizer on the 3-0 fastball.
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An inning later it was Gary Sanchez going big fly to left for the go-ahead bomb.
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Estevan Florial was solid in center and picked up his first career extra-base hit in the sixth inning to left. Granted Sanchez was thrown out at home by about 45 feet because the Yankees had a windmill coaching third base but still, a good sign from Florial.
The bullpen was fairly clean between Jonathan Loaisiga, Wandy Peralta, and Chad Green. After the game, it was revealed that Aroldis Chapman was held out because he had been feeling sick, not because he doesn't believe in Rob Manfred's nonsense seventh inning doubleheader save. I made the last part up.
ON DECK
At 29-21, the Yankees travel to the Motor City to take on the Detroit Tigers for a three-game series starting Friday evening.
Pitching probables, Gerrit Cole vs. Casey Mize, TBD vs. Spencer Turnbull, TBD vs. Tarik Skubal.