Jays frustrate Cole, slumping Yankees
The offensively challenged New York Yankees made plenty of noise Saturday.
Just not with their bats. Ace Gerrit Cole twice banged the dugout roof, shouting in frustration and getting booed after a rough inning. After a 15th loss in 19 games, 5-2 to visiting Toronto, manager Aaron Boone pounded the podium with his right hand while talking about his team’s struggles.
“We can ask all these questions in regards (to our slump) until we’re blue in the face,” Boone said. “We got to go out and do it. I got to quit answering questions about this date and this perplexion. We got to play better, period. And the great thing is right in front of us. It’s right here and we can fix it.”
“It’s there and we can run away with this thing and we got the dudes in there to do it and we got to do it,” he said.
The AL East-leading Yankees fell to 9-20 since entering the All-Star break with a 64-28 record. After holding a 15 1⁄2-game bulge on July 8, their margin over second-place Toronto is down to seven games.
The Yankees have lost six straight series for the first time since 1995, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Held to just 21 runs in its last 11 games, New York will try to avoid a four-game sweep on Sunday.
Cole (9-6) hadn’t allowed a hit before the Blue Jays scored four times in the fifth. After he issued a walk to Danny Jansen and misplayed a grounder, Alejandro Kirk capped the burst with a two-run double that left fielder Andrew Benintendi couldn’t quite catch.
When the inning ended, fans booed Cole and television cameras picked up the right-hander, yelling, and punching the bottom of the dugout roof with both hands.
Cole blamed himself for the walk and fielding lapse.
“I feel bad about it if we weren’t in the rut that we were, but I’d still feel bad about it,” he said.
The reaction from portions of the crowd of 45, 538 were similar to Cole with boos increasing after Toronto went ahead and after the final out.
“We’re not winning,” said slugger Aaron Judge, who batted third for the fourth time this year. “I think anytime you don’t win boos are warranted.”
Jackie Bradley hit a two-run, go-ahead double down the left-field line, the ball bouncing off the wall and past Benintendi when he tried to field the carom. Bradley delivered after Santiago Espinal got Toronto’s first hit, a double two pitches after missing on a close two-strike pitch.
Tigers 4, Angels 3: Tyler Alexander pitched six strong innings and host Detroit’s bullpen finished off Los Angeles. The Tigers had lost two straight and 10 of 12.
ARed Sox 4, Orioles 3: Kike Hernandez hit a two-run homer, Christian Arroyo added a key RBI double in the ninth inning and Michael Wacha pitched scoreless ball into the sixth as Boston won at Baltimore.
Rays 5, Royals 2: Drew Rasmussen took a nohitter into the sixth inning in his first start since making a serious perfect game bid and host Tampa Bay beat Kansas City.
AANATIONAL LEAGUE
Mets 8, Phillies 2: Starling Marte got three hits and New York kept up its season-long dominance of host Philadelphia, topping Zack Wheeler and the Phillies in the first game of a day-night doubleheader. The NL East-leading Mets have won 13 of 17 from their division rivals this year while outscoring them 89-50.
Cubs 6, Brewers 5
(11): Willson Contreras hit an RBI single to cap a two-run rally in the 11th inning and host Chicago beating Milwaukee.
AA