Unable to pull out of slide

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Gary Sanchez and the slumping New York Yankees lost their fifth in a row Tuesday night and fell for the 15th time in 20 games, again failing to get clutch hits in a 2-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Hours after general manager Brian Cashman tried to change his team’s fortunes with a pregame address, the Yankees continued to struggled.

At 21-21, the Yankees are at .500 or worse in September for the first time since 1995. Missing injured stars Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and more, they began the day tied with Houston for the last two spots in the expanded playoff field during the pandemic-shortened 60-game season.

Jonathan Davis homered in his first at-bat of the season and the Blue Jays won their third straight game, a day after beating the Yankees 12-7.

Making his first start of the season after being recalled from Toronto’s alternate training site Monday, Davis connected for his first homer on a 2-2 pitch from J.A. Happ in the second. The outfielder had played parts of the last two seasons with the Blue Jays.

Shun Yamaguchi (2-3) allowed one run in two innings of relief to earn the win. A.J. Cole and Anthony Kay each pitched one scoreless inning, and Rafael Dolis finished for his third save in as many opportunities.

Sanchez returned to the lineup after being benched the previous two games and went 0-for 4 with a strikeout.