Bronx bombs galore in Toronto
Sanchez hits two home runs as Yankees rough up Estrada in 12-2 win
When Marco Estrada’s change-up is doing its thing, he can bring some of baseball’s most seasoned hitters to their knees.
When it’s not, well, the New York Yankees offered a rather potent example of what can go wrong.
Estrada, who played a big role in the Jays’ May turnaround, was rocked early on Thursday night at the Rogers Centre as the Bronx Bombers belted out four runs in the first inning on the way to a message-delivering 12-2 blowout win.
The Yankees were up 4-0 before the dome roof was completely closed, allowing some of the air of anticipation for the opener of the four-game series to escape.
After fighting their way to within a game of .500 following the 2-9 start, the Jays hoped to hit that mark and pull within 4 1/2 games of the division leaders. The Yankees had other ideas, of course, belting out 15 hits to all corners of the dome.
The young Yankees jumped on Estrada’s signature pitch, particularly second-year catcher Gary Sanchez who had loud home runs in each of his first two at-bats.
Estrada’s night was done much earlier than anticipated as manager John Gibbons brought out the hook before the fourth inning was done.
Then there was Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks, who wasn’t selective about what Jays pitcher he abused, driving in a career-high six runs including three on a bases-clearing double in the first inning.
By then, Estrada had thrown 89 pitches and been knocked around for nine hits and seven runs, striking out four. It was the most runs in one game Estrada has allowed as a Blue Jay.
Judge-ment time
The Rogers Centre crowd got its first look at larger-than-life Yankees rookie Aaron Judge, the 6-foot7, 282-pounder who has taken the baseball world by storm this season.
“He’s so strong he can mis-hit a ball and still hit a home run,” Gibbons said of Judge, who already has 17 homers this season.
Judge had a single and a walk in his first two at-bats but was overshadowed by another young gun expected to be a force of the Yankees offence for years to come.
It’s been a slow start for catcher Sanchez, who last year had 20 homers in his first 53 games. Entering Thursday’s contest, he had just four this season.
Both of his homers Thursday came off of Estrada changeups and both were measured at 430-feet plus.
Safe to say the Jays and the rest of the AL East are well aware of the Yankees’ power.
Feeble firsts
Estrada has been a huge part of the Jays’ success, despite the occasional wobble in the first inning.
Thursday it was more of a stumble, as he never found his rhythm and command was also an issue.
Before Thursday’s start, Estrada had a 2.36 ERA in all innings other than the first. But the four he allowed on Thursday jumped his first inning total to 10 runs allowed in 12 outings. It was clear by the end of the second that Estrada didn’t have it after he allowed five hits and five runs on 51 pitches.
Familiar showdown
The Yankees’ first visit to town was the fourth of 19 meetings between the AL East rivals this season and the Yankees improved to 3-1.
Gibbons acknowledged before the game that there was some added excitement and incentive with the Yanks in town.
“It’s early in the season, but any time you play the front-runners, you’ve got to make up ground,” Gibbons said. “Not as much as you feel later in the year when things are really tight and it’s getting down to the wire.
“It’s always important to play well against guys you’re chasing, especially with the hole we dug early.”
What a relief?
Reliever Leonel Campos was effective enough in relief. With the game out of reach, Gibbons needed some innings to save his bullpen for the next three vs. the Yankees.
Campos, called up earlier in the day from triple-A Buffalo, lasted two innings. He had a shot at escaping without allowing a run until second baseman Darwin Barney booted a two-out ball in the seventh, allowing Didi Gregorious to reach. The Yankees followed with two unearned runs.
Meanwhile, New York starter CC Sabathia continued his dominance of the Jays, holding them off the board until the seventh inning. Sabathia had just retired seven Jays batters in a row before Kendrys Morales connected for a solo homer.
Quick hits
The rare glimmer of brightness from this one was the pair of solo home runs. After a 49-homer May, the Jays had two in this one when Ezequiel Carrera added his solo shot in the eighth.