Jays strand a dozen in loss to Yankees

NEW YORK • On a cold night in the Bronx, the Toronto Blue Jays couldn’t get their bats to heat up, dropping the first game of a fourgame series at Yankee Stadium 4-3.

The Jays, fourth in the American League in runs scored this season, managed just six hits in Thursday game, four off New York lefty C.C. Sabathia, who was activated from a stint on the DL with a right hip strain before the game. The Jays went two for 14 with runners in scoring position, and that is what ultimately buried them.

Toronto looked like they were going to stage some more lategame heroics in the eighth, loading the bases with none out, but they only managed one run off Yankees reliever David Robertson.

Teoscar Hernandez kicked off the inning with a sharply hit single to left off Robertson. Justin Smoak walked, as did Yangervis Solarte to load the bases. Robertson then struck out Kevin Pillar. Former Yankee Curtis Granderson, pinchhitting for Aledmys Diaz, singled to shallow left to score Hernandez, cutting the deficit to 4-3. However, Randal Grichuk struck out for the third time in the game and catcher Luke Maile flew out to left to end the threat.

Thursday’s game also marked the first time this season the Jays failed to hit a home run in a road game.

Jays starter Aaron Sanchez pitched well in a losing effort, going six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits while walking and striking out two. He threw 99 pitches.

Sabathia went 4 1/3 innings before being replaced by righty Chad Green with one out and Steve Pearce on second. Green got Smoak to fly out to centre and struck out Solarte to end the inning.

Leading 3-2 in the seventh, New York slugger Aaron Judge went deep to left field off Toronto reliever Tyler Clippard to extend the Yanks’ lead to 4-2. It was Judge’s 61st homer in 199 career games, the fastest to 61 home runs in major league history. The record had been held by Mark McGwire, who did it in 204 games.

Maile kept his hot streak alive, going two for four, including a twoout single in the fourth that tied the game 2-2. He has at least one hit in all seven of his games this season. He started the 2017 season going zero for 23 with runners in scoring position, but since Sept. 9 of last year, Maile’s gone 12 for 13 with runners in scoring position, including nine for nine this season, which is a franchise record.

Maile also threw out threw out Aaron Hicks at second in the eighth inning.