YANKEES GO HOME
Strong start by Stroman leads Jays to 4-0 win over New York.
Many Blue Jays are playing meaningful games in September for the very first time. If that younger group of players, with little to no post-season experience, ever wanted to know what a playoff atmosphere feels like, all they need do is recall the 19game season series just completed against the Yankees.
The atmosphere in October will be something just like that.
“There’s been a lot of buildup, much like you would have in a playoff, where the days prefacing the series there’s been a lot of anticipation, a lot of talk,” Jays veteran pitcher R.A. Dickey said. “Then you get to the games and the games are really good baseball games. So I would say that’s a fair comment.”
The first-place Jays wrapped up a 13-6 season series against New York with a 4-0 win on Wednesday at the Rogers Centre.
Starter Marcus Stroman, with seven strong innings, and catcher Russell Martin, with a three-run homer in the seventh inning, proved keys to the victory. It was yet another game with a playoff atmosphere. One could easily argue the Yanks and Jays are the two best teams in the league right now, with a chance to meet again in the playoffs, most likely the ALCS.
There were 10 Jays-Yankees games this season that had all the ingredients of playoff classics. The teams rank 1-2 in runs scored in major league baseball, yet even with those high-octane lineups they played nine games in which both squads scored four runs or fewer. The Jays were 6-3 in those nine close games, outscoring the Yankees 85-56 overall.
So did Toronto’s youngsters benefit from the Yankee drama?
“I think we’ve been fortunate this year to come out ahead of those games more times than not,” Dickey said. “It seems like every game . . . has been a real grind.
“We match up really equally, with the veteran players, with the (starting) pitching — even with our bullpens. They’ve got (Dellin) Betances and (Andrew) Miller, but with (Mark) Lowe, (Roberto) Osuna, (Aaron) Sanchez and (Brett) Cecil, we match up really well . . . so the games have been close.”
Here are details of those other nine energizing Yankee games of this regular season: April 7. Yankees W4-3 at NY: At a frigid Yankee Stadium, the Jays scored one in the eighth to take a two-run lead, but the Bombers replied with three in the bottom of the inning vs. Cecil and Aaron Loup. Chase Headley’s infield single off Cecil produced the winner when he was still closing. May 4. Jays W3-1at Rogers Centre: The game remained scoreless until the Yankees took a lead in the seventh. The Jays responded in the eighth with three runs against Betances. Edwin Encarnacion doubled home the tying run and with two outs, Russell Martin singled home a run with a Headley error providing the margin of the win. Dickey went eight, with a save for Cecil. Aug. 7. Jays W2-1at NY: The Jays trailed by 41⁄ games in the AL East
2 headed to the Bronx. This game remained tied 1-1 from the second inning through the end of regulation, but Jose Bautista homered in the 10th against Branden Pinder for the win. This first game win was huge. Aug. 8. Jays W6-0 at NY: The game remained scoreless into the sixth inning, between David Price, in his second Jays start, and Ivan Nova. With the bases full of Jays, first baseman Justin Smoak launched a grand slam to right field for the 4-0 lead. Aug. 9. Jays W2-0 at NY: Facing Masahiro Tanaka, Josh Donaldson stunned the Bronx crowd with a first-inning homer and Bautista added a solo shot in the fourth. Marco Estrada allowed two on with one out in the seventh, but Hawkins ended the threat and the Jays swept the series. Aug. 14. Yanks W4-3 at Rogers Centre: The Jays led 3-0, but in the eighth Price gave up a double to Headley, bringing on Sanchez for the hold. Carlos Beltran ripped a three-run blast to right. Then in the ninth, Miller fanned Ben Revere and Tulowitzki with the tying run at third. Sept. 12 (1). Jays W9-5 at NY: Estrada trailed 4-1 into the fifth, but a Revere solo homer and a two-run Encarnacion blast tied it against Michael Pineda. In the eighth, Bautista homered for the lead, but the Yankees tied it on a McCann single vs. Cecil. The Jays hung tough and took advantage of three bases-load- ed walks and an RBI single in the 11th for the victory. Sept. 21. Jays W4-2 at Rogers Centre: The Jays scored three in the first and one in the eighth, but then trouble. Sanchez allowed a walk and a hit and was removed. Cecil allowed an Ellsbury single, then struck out the side — Brett Gardner, A-Rod and McCann — with a huge fist pump as he left the mound. Sept. 22. Yanks W6-4 at Rogers Centre: The Jays eraxed a two-run first-inning deficit but a Beltran homer gave the Yanks the lead again in the eighth. Dioner Navarro dramatically tied it with a last at-bat homer off Miller, who then loaded the bases for Donaldson, who struck out.
But Greg Bird homered off Lowe in the 10th for a three-run lead and an Encarnacion homer in response was not enough.
“We’re in first place, still,” Bautista said in the hours before the series finale.
“Our destiny is in our control. There aren’t that many games left in the season. The pressure’s on them. We just have to continue to play good. We’re not taking anything for granted; we just have to continue to play good baseball and be the confident first-place team, that’s it.”