Vlad Jr.’s triple hands Yankees their second straight
TORONTO — The first two earned runs that Adam Ottavino gave up to an American League East opponent were big ones. The Yankees righthander gave up a two-run triple to Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. in the bottom of the seventh as the Blue Jays pulled out the 5-4 win at the Rogers Centre Sat- urday.
It was the second straight loss for the Yankees (76-41), who had won nine straight before that. The Blue Jays (48-71) are looking to take their second series of the season from the Bombers on Sunday.
In his first game back from the injury list, Gary Sánchez got the Yankees offense started, homering in his second at-bat of the day. The Bombers, however, never got
up and running against the Blue Jays, who also used an opener and went with a bullpen day.
DJ LeMahieu drove in his team-leading 80th RBI with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly, Gio Urshela hit his fifth home run four games. They managed just five hits against the Blue Jays’ bullpen arms.
“Think obviously the different looks they were able to run out there today,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of what stifled the Yankees bats. “We were still able to push four across there on a day we didn’t get a ton of hits, obviously. Credit to them, they mixed and matched and held us down today.”
That is usually what the Yankees have done when they use Chad Green as an opener. He gave them a scoreless first before the Blue Jays’ dangerous young lineup started battling against the bullpen. Stephen Tarpley, who went 2.1 innings, was charged with two runs for setting up Teoscar Hernández’s three-run homer off Chance Adams in the fourth.
LeMahieu’s sacrifice fly gave the Yankees a brief one-run lead, but Ottavino couldn’t hold it. He gave up a one-out walk to Bo Bichette and then a first-pitch single to Cavan Biggio. The Yankees’ reliable right-hander got ahead of Guerrero 0-2, before the son of a Hall of Famer took a defensive lunge on the ball, sending it jumping up the first-base line.
“I think the mistake was the walk, obviously. A good battle there. I would have liked to do a little better job making him earn his way on base, Bichette,” Ottavino said. “It is what it is. No excuse. Gotta get it done and I didn’t today.”
The Yankees bullpen didn’t get it done Saturday, but they are now 11-1 with an opener and it should still be considered a weapon heading into the postseason, considering they have no clear No. 1 pitcher.
Domingo German is facing an innings limit, biggame pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has struggled to find his splitfinger fastball all season and James Paxton has only just begun to put together consistent starts.
CC Sabathia, on the injured list for the third time this season with right knee inflammation, has been inconsistent enough to wonder where he fits on a Yankees playoff roster. J.A. Happ has been healthy but has struggled all season.
After heavily investing in the backend of their bullpen this winter, and unable to reinforce the rotation at the MLB trade deadline, an opener could be the Yankees’ best option for a Game 3 in a American League Division series, and Green has been their go-to for that.
But the Bombers also have reinforcements on the way. With Luis Severino’s rehab from shoulder and lat injuries progressing this week, he could be a possible candidate to open down the stretch.