BLUE JAYS SWEEP YANKEES TO LEAD AL EAST

This week the Toronto Blue Jays swept the New York Yankees and took the lead in the AL East. The Yankees are now tied for second place with the Tampa Bay Rays.

There were some bright spots in the series where it looked like the Yankees could win a game or two but it didn’t pan out.

Here’s a recap of the series.

Game 1 was Carlos Rodon pitching against Max Scherzer. Rodon gave up 2 runs in 5 innings and struck out 4. Scherzer also gave up 2 runs in 5 innings but struck out 7. Those two runs were from a Jazz Chisholm Jr. home run.  The Yankees were winning going into the sixth inning but Mark Leiter Jr. came in to take over for Rodon and the Blue Jays scored 3 more runs. Cody Bellinger hit a home run in the top of the eighth inning, giving a glimpse of hope but the Yankees were held to 1 hit the rest of the game. Blue Jays won 5-4.

Game 2 was Max Fried pitching against Kevin Gausman. Fried gave up 4 runs in 6 innings while Gausman gave up 2 runs in 5 innings. The Yankees took the lead early with a 2 run single by Jasson Dominguez in the first inning. The Blue Jays didn’t score until the fourth inning when George Springer and Andres Gimenez hit home runs. The Yankees tied the game in the seventh inning but the Blue Jays scored 5 runs that same inning as Mark Leiter Jr. and Luke Weaver loaded the bases. Ernie Clement’s single scored one run and Springer’s second home run cleared the bases. Geoff Hartlieb, brought up from Triple A,  pitched the 8th inning for the Yankees and saw Clement and Springer do more damage. Hartlieb gave up a single and 2 walks to load the bases before he walked Clement and another run scored. Springer then hit a 2 run single. JT Brubaker came in to end the inning by striking out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Yankees scored another run in the ninth inning but it wasn’t enough. The Blue Jays won 12-5. A good way for them to celebrate Canada Day. Springer had a career high 7 RBI. Aaron Judge walked 3 times including his 21st intentional walk.

Game 3 did not go well for Will Warren who allowed 8 runs in 4 innings. Jose Berrios didn’t do much better allowing 6 runs in 4 1/3 innings. However 7 of the 8 runs allowed by Will Warren were in the first inning putting the Yankees in a huge hole early. With the bases loaded, 2 runs scored on a single by Alejandro Kirk before Addison Barger hit a 3 run home run and Davis Schneider hit a 2 run home run. The 8th run came in the third inning with a RBI single by Andres Gimenez. The Yankees made the game interesting scoring 6 runs in the fifth inning. DJ LeMahieu hit a 2 run single, Ben Rice hit a RBI single, Aaron Judge hit a RBI double, and Giancarlo Stanton hit a 3 run home run. The next inning the Yankees came within 1 run as LeMahieu scored on Cody Bellinger’s fielder’s choice ground out. Schneider hit his second home run of the game in the seventh inning and now the Yankees were down 2 runs but Aaron Judge tied the game with a home run in the eighth inning. Devin Williams pitched the ninth inning and walked George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Springer scored on a wild pitch and Guerrero Jr. scored on a single by Barger. The Blue Jays won 11-9.

Game 4 Clarke Schmidt gave up 3 runs in 3 innings before exiting the game with forearm tightness. Chris Bassitt also gave up 4 runs but in 5 1/3 innings. The Blue Jays scored first with a RBI single by Addison Barger in the first inning. Trent Grisham tied the game in the third inning with a home run but George Springer answered with a 2 run home run that inning. Anthony Volpe tied the game again in the fourth inning with a RBI single and then scoring himself on a wild pitch. The back and forth scoring continued as the Blue Jays scored 2 runs off a double by Nathan Lukes that same inning. They expanded their lead with a home run by Barger in the sixth inning. The Yankees scored 2 runs in the seventh inning when Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a double and Volpe hit into a ground out. But Springer hit another home run in the eighth inning off Luke Weaver. Blue Jays won 8-5 and took the lead in the AL East with a 4 game sweep of the Yankees.

Other key notes: Aaron Judge is now tied with Mickey Mantle with 23 intentional walks.

Fernando Cruz was placed on the 15 Day IL which is why Geoff Hartlieb was brought up.

Clarke Schmidt was placed on the 15 Day IL as well.

Luis Gil is looking at a possible rehab assignment with the Double A Somerset Patriots next week.

The Yankees head into the Fourth of July weekend with a Subway Series matchup against the New York Mets.

Let’s go Yankees!