In what felt like their first series of the year in Toronto, the New York Yankees dropped a somewhat frustrating and bizarre series to the Toronto Blue Jays. Manager Aaron Boone was understandably playing it safe with some guys on the turf and the Yankees did gain some reinforcements, but one hopes these losses aren’t costly when it comes to home-field advantage in the playoffs.
GAME 1
Blame it on the full moon or Friday the 13th, but some weird stuff happened in the Yankees 6-5 loss. DJ LeMahieu made an error. A butterfly landed on Zack Britton’s glove. Blue Jays pitcher Tim Mayza looked like he broke his arm. Adam Ottavino balked in a run. Let’s play oddball!
Zack Britton, Butterfly Pitch. 🦋 pic.twitter.com/yRbKPuKfnz
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 14, 2019
MASA MEH
Masahiro Tanaka turned in another blah outing. Tanaka surrendered a homer to Randal Grichuk in the second, who always seems to homer against the Yankees this season. Toronto built up a 3-0 lead on a Reese McGuire RBI-double and an errant throw to first by Gleyber Torres on a single by Teoscar Hernandez. Tanaka would also give up an RBI-single to Cavan Biggio in the fifth to round out his five and fly evening.
On his ledger, Tanka yielded four runs eight hits, zero walks, and fanned six in five frames.
FIVE FOR FIGHTING FIFTH
Note the hockey reference, it’s Canada after all. The Yankees made their move against former New York Mets farmhand Anthony Kay in the fifth.
Clint Frazier jumpstarted the Yankees with an RBI-double to right, advancing to third on a throwing error by Grichuk.
Two bags and a bonus for Clint Frazier gets the Yankees on the board!
Watch LIVE: https://t.co/cwLoOuhW0M pic.twitter.com/9aooHbV5iJ
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 14, 2019
Frazier would come around to score on an Austin Romine RBI-single to left.
Luke Voit reached on a fielder’s choice, plating Romine for the equalizer.
Facing reliever Jason Adam, Gio Urshela came through again with RISP, plunking a two-run single to center, providing the Yankees with their first lead at 5-3.
WHAT THE BALK?
Things got downright spooky for Ottavino in the seventh. Richard Urena set the table with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Following a walk to Bo Bichette, a Biggio ground out advanced Urena to third. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the plate, Ottavino balked in Urena to tie the game.
BLUE JAYS UN-TY IT
In the 12th, Bichette launched a Tyler Lyons offering over the wall in left-center for the winner.
GAME 2
The second game was more like you’d draw up. Despite some sloppy baserunning, the Bombers made up for it by trotting around the bases and wrapping out 19 hits and 13 runs, crushing the Blue Jays 13-3.
BRETT THE HITMAN HART
Bret “Hitman” Hart is from Canada but Brett Gardner put the sharpshooter on the Blue Jays Saturday afternoon and he even wore the shades. Gardner got the ball rolling against Jacob Waguespack in the second with an RBI-double to left.
After Luke Voit doubled the lead with a ground-rule double to right in the third, Gardner was back for more in the fourth.
Gardner cracked a solo shot to center to make it 3-0.
Facing Brock Stewart in the fifth, Gardner popped a three-run blast to center, increasing the advantage to 6-0.
Blame it on the baseball, but the bottom line is Gardner has 25 home runs, he’s durable, plays his heart out, his teammates love him and he deserves to be on this club in 2020.
MAPLE SYRUP
James Paxton grinded out five frames and extended his scoreless innings streak to 19.1 until yielding a sac fly RBI to Bichette in the fifth.
Paxton struggled through the first and fifth while mostly sailing through the other three frames. On his ledger, Paxton fanned three, allowed three hits, two walks, and one run.
YEAH, I GUESS THEY LOOK OK
There were moments when Torres and Voit looked uncomfortable moving on the diamond but they assuaged some fears in the sixth.
Torres (with a two-run tater) and Voit went back to back and a belly to belly, increasing the Bronx Bombers advantage to 9-1.
EMPTY NETTERS
If you can’t tell I’m a hockey fan by now, I don’t know what to tell you.
During the ninth, New York kept the offense flowing. Facing Justin Shafer, Thairo Estrada knocked an RBI-single. Tyler Wade plated a run on a ground out. Mike Ford, in for Voit, thumped a two-run tater to center to cap off the scoring.
GAME 3
The series finale was a mixed bag of sorts. Dellin Betances and Jordan Montgomery were back on the mound, but Nestor Cortes Jr. did his best Vidal Nuno impression in a 6-4 loss.
JUDGE JOLT
Facing Wilmer Font in the first frame, Judge jolted the Yanks on the board with a solo shot to right.
He makes it look easy! 23rd HR of the year for Aaron Judge. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/QiDxyQJrwX
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 15, 2019
GUMBY BENDS
Montgomery entered from the pen in the second and in his two frames was tagged for three runs on four hits, including a home run by Grichuk in the third. The young lefty also recorded a pair of K’s.
EIGHT IS ENOUGH
During the fourth frame, Betances tossed eight pitches and struck out two. He was so excited that he forgot how many outs there were but that’s OK big guy, we’re all excited to see you back on the bump!
Two batters, two K's. Dellin Betances looked solid on his first day back with the Yanks. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/G9LweNZxx8
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 15, 2019
STOP PITCHING TO HIM ALREADY!
The Yanks had rallied back to tie the game at two on a LeMahieu double and take the lead on a Gregorius single in third before Grichuk tied it in the home half.
In the fifth, Grichuk jacked a three-run homer to left off Cortes Jr. for what turned out to be the difference-maker.
ON DECK
At 98-53, the Yankees return to Yankee Stadium to take on the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game series starting Tuesday evening.
Pitching probables: TBD vs. Luis Severino, Dillon Peters vs. TBD, Andrew Heaney vs. TBD.
