Yankees Game 45: Offense, bullpen struggle as win streak snapped

Bullpen unable to contain potent Jays offense as six-game winning streak snapped.

Toronto Blue Jays 8 – New York Yankees 4

With the Yankees at a six-game winning streak, the series with the visiting Blue Jays continued.

Ivan Nova and Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada went scoreless until the third inning. Chase Headley started the bottom of the third with a single and Didi Gregorius took advantage of a drawn back infield by dropping a bunt single to put two on with no outs. After a wild pitch, Aaron Hicks walked to load the bases with no outs. After a shallow fly out by Jacoby Ellsbury kept the bases loaded, Brett Gardner beat out a potential double play to plate the first run of the game. But the Yankees only scored the one run despite loading the bases with no outs.

The missed big inning haunted Nova and the Yankees in the top of the fourth inning.

After getting the first two outs, Ivan Nova gave up a pair of infield singles and Ryan Goins went into the gap in right center for a two-run double, giving the Blue Jays the lead. After a quiet fifth inning, Russell Martin erased a zero in his stats when he went deep for his first home run of the year, a solo home run to left field. Nova got the first two outs in the seventh inning before he hit Edwin Encarnacion on the back foot, ending his night on the mound. Chasen Shreve entered for the lefty Michael Saunders but the left-handed left fielder went deep to right for a two-run home run. After a double to Justin Smoak, Russell Martin went deep for the second time tonight, doubling his total for the season in one night.

In 6 2/3 innings, Ivan Nova allowed four runs on seven hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.

Following the four-run top of the seventh inning, the Yankees rallied with instant offense when Chase Headley and Didi Gregorius went back-to-back off of Estrada to bring the Yankees within four.

After getting the first two outs in the eighth, Shreve was replaced with Nick Goody who walked two before giving up a run-scoring single to Edwin Encarnacion.

Austin Romine added a pinch-hit solo home run in the ninth inning, his first of the year, but the Yankees could not rally to overcome the four-run deficit. The loss snapped the six-game winning streak as they will try and take the rubber match tomorrow afternoon.

Win – Marco Estrada

Loss – Ivan Nova

Notables

Blue Jays

*Russell Martin – 2 for 5, 2 R, 2 HR (2; Solo & Two-run) in the 6th & 7th, 3 RBI (11)

*Michael Saunders – 1 for 4, R, BB, Two-run home run (9) in the 7th, 2 RBI (27)

Yankees

*Didi Gregorius – 3 for 4, R, Solo home run (4) in the 7th, RBI (17)

*Chase Headley – 2 for 3, 2 R, BB, Solo home run (3) in the 7th, RBI (11)

Current Yankees Record: 22-23