Series Recap: Yankees sock it to the Blue Jays
Starting the second half of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees carried their solid play from the first half. In taking two of three, the pinstripes are now 12-0-1 in their last 13 home series'.
GAME 1
The Yankees started the second half with a clean all-around 4-0 blanking of the Blue Jays.
DOM IS ON
Domingo German picked right up from his previous stellar outing in Queens with six strong frames in the Bronx. Six of his seven strikeouts came via the curveball, as German tossed six scoreless innings, scattering three hits.
PARROT PUNCH
New York finally busted out against Aaron Sanchez in the fifth. Brett Gardner, who also doubled, kept up his hot hitting with a leadoff triple to right. Gardner would score on an RBI ground out by DJ LeMahieu. Aaron Judge followed with a single to center, Aaron Hicks doubled to right and Gary Sanchez reached after being hit by a pitch.
Edwin Encarnacion tore the game open by sticking a bases-clearing double to left.
https://twitter.com/YESNetwork/status/1149842387012710401
GAME 2
Some bloops fall your way and some don't and that was the difference as the Blue Jays edged the Yankees 2-1. In an odd twist, the Blue Jays seemed to benefit from starting pitcher Clayton Richard only lasting two frames before exiting with an injury.
NO BLOOP FOR YOU
Facing Joe Biagini with the bases packed in the fifth, Sanchez hit the ball too hard or not hard enough to center and was robbed by Randal Grichuk to end the inning.
BLOOP JAYS
With one down in the sixth, a well-rested J.A. Happ, who posted an otherwise solid outing, fell victim to some tough luck. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled to right. Cavan Biggio found the fairway on a ball hit to left between Gardner and Didi Gregorius. Adam Ottavino entered and froze Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Yet after a double-steal, Grichuk continued to torture the pinstripes with a two-run single to right.
BREAKING THE BLANKING
New York would avoid the shoutout against Daniel Hudson in the ninth. Hicks coaxed a walk to start the frame. Gleyber Torres and Gardner probably swung at pitches during the count which would've resulted in walks but both flew out. LeMahieu singled to center to keep the inning alive. Judge ripped an RBI-single to left to get the Yankees on the board. Yet, Luke Voit would go down looking to end the game.
https://twitter.com/YESNetwork/status/1150142926506168320
GAME 3
The pinstripes played sloppily and then they played sharp. New York received contributions from all corners, including Gio Urshela and Mike Tauchman. It all added up to a 4-2 victory.
https://twitter.com/YESNetwork/status/1150495413817860096
GO GO GIO
Facing Marcus Stroman in the second stanza, the pinstripes would jump on the board. Voit reached on a single to short and Torres doubled to right. With one down, Urshela roped a two-run single to left.
https://twitter.com/YESNetwork/status/1150460833664606209
MASA MIXED MATINEE
All-Star Masahiro Tanaka provided the Yankees with length and registered five strikeouts during his six frames of work. The blemishes on Tanaka's afternoon came in the way of a pair of solo home runs by Grichuk and Eric Sogard in the fifth to square the contest at two apiece.
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Yet, New York would bounce back in the home half.
Urshela started the rally with an infield single to short. Austin Romine followed with a walk. The inning almost went awry after Tauchman's pop out bunt to third. After LeMahieu grounded into a force out, the Yankees would benefit from some good fortune.
Urshela scampered home on a Stroman wild pitch and after initially being called out, the replay showed his foot hit the plate under a high tag attempt by catcher Danny Jansen and the Yankees took a 3-2 lead.
https://twitter.com/YESNetwork/status/1150475776019423232
NO BLOOP FOR YOU EITHER
The Blue Jays wouldn't benefit from a bloop rally on this afternoon. During the sixth, Tauchman, fighting through the sun, made a full extension grab in left to rob Biggio.
https://twitter.com/YESNetwork/status/1150478840168235008
UN-TAUCH-IT
Facing Derek Law in the seventh, Tauchman said, bunt this! Tauchman drilled a 1-2 fastball to right and doubled the Bronx Bombers advantage to 4-2.
https://twitter.com/YESNetwork/status/1150487483143999489
ON DECK
At 59-32, the Yankees play host to the Tampa Bay Rays for a four-game series at Yankee Stadium starting Monday evening.
Pitching probables, Blake Snell vs. James Paxton, TBD vs. CC Sabathia, Yonny Chirinos vs. Domingo German, Charlie Morton vs. J.A. Happ.