LOST FLYBALL COSTLY IN TORONTO
Yankees happy to take series, but know sweep lost with Beltran’s gaffe
TORONTO — A message scribbled by Brett Gardner on the board near the door that led out of the Yankees’ clubhouse portrayed what the Yankees fe l t as they departed Rogers Centre. “Cheer up every body. We won the series. Still in first place.’’ Those words written with a black marker on a white board were how the Yankees felt even after dropping a 3-1 decision to the Blue Jays on Sunday in front a sold-out crowd of 46,792.
“We did what we had to do,’’ a frigid Alex Rodriguez said of the Yankees taking two of three and heading for a 10-game homestand in f irst place, a half game ahead of the Blue Jays in the AL East race.
Of course, it would have been better if the Yankees had swept the Blue Jays, but a brutal sun got in the way of a routine fly ball that right fielder Carlos Beltran lost on its descent and set the stage for a three-run Blue Jays inning that was highlighted by Jose Bautista crushing a Luis Severino Severino said of Beltran losing the lazy two-out, basesempty fly ball hit by Troy Tulowitzki that was originally scored an error, but changed quickly to a double, which made all three runs earned.
AL MVP candidate Josh Donaldson followed with a RBI single and Bautista’s 28th homer made it 3-0.
“It was supposed to be inside and down,’’ Severino said of the 86-mph slider that stayed up to Bautista.
Though Severino is 0-2 in three big league starts, he has pitched better than that ledger indicates. In 17 frames, he has allowed six earned runs ( 3. 1 8 ERA), 14 hits, walked three and struck out 18.
Sunday he whiffed nine, allowed three runs and five hits in six innings.
Had Beltran caught the ball, things might have been different.
“I saw the ball the whole way. I lost it when it got very close to me,’’ said Beltran, who explained the ball hit him in the back as he twisted and turned his body. “Unfortunately it would have been a different story if I had caught the ball.’’
Drew Hutchison and three relievers held the Yankees to a run and four hits. The Yankees run was deliv- ered by Jacoby Ellsbury’s two-out homer in the sixth inning.
“He pitched well, a lot of sliders, more than usual,’’ said Beltran, who went 0-for-3 and grounded into a double play after homering in victories Friday and Saturday. “He pitched in and out.’’
When the Yankees arrived in Cleveland on Tuesday, they had a 1 1/2 game lead on the Blue Jays. By the time the Yankees checked into Rogers Centre on Friday they trailed by a half length. Now as they face the Twins on Monday night at Yankee Stadium, they are on top by the same margin.
“It was nice to come here and win a series,’’ said Brian pitch in the fifth inning. “Now it’s time to move on and win some ballgames.’’
If they pitch as well as they did against the powerful Blue Jays lineup, they will take it. They allowed s eve n runs, 18 hits, one homer, limited them to 2-for-22 ( .091) with runners in scoring position and held the hitters to a .196 (18for-92) ove ra l l average.
And they likely came with in a lost ball in the sun of a sweep.
“It has happened to a nyone who has played the game,’’ Jo e Gira rd i sa i d. “Unfortunately it happens, but Carlos was a big part of the series.’’ george.king@nypost.com