Wild Betances costs Yanks in loss to the Blue Jays
NEW YORK » Dellin Betances threw a full-count breaking ball with no bite to Russell Martin that sailed well high and outside, forcing in the go-ahead run with his fourth walk of the eighth inning.
The All-Star reliever swiped at the toss back from catcher Austin Romine as manager Joe Girardi walked to the mound and fans booed on another long afternoon for the New York Yankees.
“The team is fighting. You can’t put the blame on those guys. I’ll take the blame,” Betances said after Wednesday’s 7-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Justin Smoak and Kendrys Morales hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning off Michael Pineda, who also allowed Kevin Pillar’s leadoff homer in the fourth that put the Blue Jays ahead 5-0.
Aaron Judge started a comeback with his major league-leading 29th homer, a two-run homer in the fourth. The Yankees surged ahead 6-5 when Ji-Man Choi hit a two-run homer in the fifth and Didi Gregorius’s two-run double later in the inning chased Marco Estrada, who was pitching on his 33rd birthday.
Judge’s homer tied Joe DiMaggio’s Yankees rookie record, set in 1936, and Choi’s came in his New York debut.
Martin tied the score 6-6 with a seventh-inning homer against Chad Green, then walked to drive in the go-ahead run in the eighth.
With a runner on first, Roberto Osuna struck out Judge for the final out.
“Our best against their best,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said, “and our best won.”
Betances fell behind Martin 2-0, evened the count, and missed with a pair of curves.
“In the short term I’m concerned about him. Long term I’m not,” Girardi said.
Betances has walked 17 of his past 55 batters, including 11 of his past 22. He’s rushing his lower body, causing him to fly open.
“I’m between two different deliveries, and it’s not helping me when I’m out there,” he said.
Betances, a 6-foot-8 right-hander picked for his fourth straight AllStar Game, admitted he was frustrated. “It’s a big body,” Romine said. “It’s hard for him to get stuff going the way he needed to go.” ANGELS 2, TWINS 1 » Parker Bridwell pitched six scoreless innings, Kole Calhoun hit his 12th home run of the season and Los Angeles avoided a road sweep with a victory over Minnesota.
Bridwell (3-1) was strong throughout, out-dueling Twins AllStar Ervin Santana. ATHLETICS 7, WHITE SOX 4 » Sonny Gray pitched six mostly sharp innings to beat Chicago for the second time in two weeks and Oakland defeated the White Sox.
Jed Lowrie added three hits and two RBIs, Bruce Maxwell doubled in two runs and Jaycob Brugman homered to help the A’s to their second straight home win. ASTROS 10, BRAVES 4 » George Springer drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, Josh Reddick and Marwin Gonzalez each had three RBIs and streaking Houston Astros beat Atlanta.
Houston has won four straight and 12 of 15 to improve to 58-27 overall, best in the majors. GIANTS 5, TIGERS 4 » Ty Blach took a shutout into the seventh inning, and San Francisco held off a late Detroit rally. BREWERS 4, ORIOLES 0 » Matt Garza pitched into the seventh inning and Keon Broxton hit a two-run homer to lift Milwaukee to a three-game sweep of Baltimore. PADRES 6, INDIANS 2 » Cory Spangenberg hit a two-run homer, Luis Perdomo won his third straight start and San Diego got another rare road win, beating Cleveland. CUBS 7, RAYS 3 » Jon Jay connected for his third career pinch-hit homer and Ian Happ hit a tiebreaking two-run single an inning later, helping Chicago rally for a victory over Tampa Bay.