Swept By Jays, Yanks Take Makeup With Tigers

I may have mentioned this before, but I don't like the Toronto Blue Jays. This week, at the Rogers Centre, those pesky Blue Jays swept the Yankees. That's 5 out of 6 this season.

Unacceptable.

On Tuesday night, CC Sabathia pitched 6 solid innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk. But Joe Girardi blew it by talking him out after throwing 80 pitches.

But did it really matter that Dellin Betances let in 2 more runs in the bottom of the 7th? No, because the Yankees, again, did not hit. Indeed, the 1 run they scored game on a groundout, not a base hit or even a sacrifice fly.

Blue Jays 4, Yankees 1. WP: Joe Biagini (3-1). SV: Antonio Osuna (12). LP: Sabathia (3-4).

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Then on Wednesday, Toronto completed the sweep. Don't blame Masahiro Tanaka: Like CC, he was terrific for 6 innings away to the defending Division Champions. He allowed 2 runs (only 1 earned) on 7 hits and 1 walk.

But Girardi panicked as usual, and saw a pitch count of 104, and took him out. And put it Kirby Yates. Who completely imploded.

But can you really put all of this one on Girardi's shoulders? No, because, again, the bats did not produce.

Brian McCann drew a leadoff walk in the top of the 2nd inning. Mark Teixeira grounded into a forceout. Didi Gregorius singled. Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran singled in the 3rd. Alex Rodriguez doubled in the 4th. Brett Gardner walked and Beltran singled in the 5th. Ronald Torreyes and Ellsbury hit back-to-back singles in the 7th. That's 10 baserunners. Scored? Exactly none.

Blue Jays 7, Yankees 0. WP: Aaron Sanchez (5-1). No save. LP: Tanaka (3-1).

As the late, great Yogi Berra would say, It's getting too late to say that it's still early out there.

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So, yesterday, the Yankees received proper punishment for their miserable performance in Toronto: They went to Detroit. They had to play a rainout makeup against the Tigers at Comerica Park.

Michael Pineda, who has been a source of worry this season, got the start. He was much better: 5 2/3rds innings, 1 run, 7 hits, but no walks, and 8 strikeouts.

Of course, they still had to score runs. At first, it didn't look like they would. Tiger starter Matt Boyd got halfway to a perfect game. Until Chase Headley walked with 2 outs in the 5th, the Yankees didn't get a single baserunner. Through 5, the Yankees trailed 1-0 and had no hits.

But just as they won a game last week on only 1 hit, a home run by Starlin Castro, the Yankees found a way to win anyway. Rob Refsnyder led off the top of the 6th with a double, breaking up the no-hitter. Aaron Hicks' flyout got him to 3rd. Ellsbury flew to center, and that sac fly scored Refsynder to tie the game.

Alex Rodriguez (Remember him?) singled to lead off the top of the 7th. Headley singled. Austin Romine grounded into a forceout to eliminate A-Rod. Refsnyder singled home Headley to give the Yankees the lead. Tiger manager Brad Ausmus took Boyd out, and replaced him with former Met Bobby Parnell. As you can probably imagine, this was a mistake. Hicks singled home Romine. Ausmus then replaced Parnell with Kyle Ryan. (Does Ausmus have his own version of Girardi's infamous binder?) Ellsbury socked a triple to right field, scoring Refsnyder and Hicks.

"The three-headed monster" was a little shaky: Betances allowed a run in the 7th, Andrew Miller allowed one in the 8th, and Aroldis Chapman one in the 9th. But the Tigers didn't find the tying run.

Yankees 5, Tigers 4. WP: Betances (2-2). SV: Chapman (8). LP: Boyd 0-1.

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With Toronto and Detroit in their rearview mirror, the Yankees are about to begin a 3-game weekend series in Baltimore against Buck Showalter's Orioles.

Let's hope the Yankees score more than the U.S. soccer team does in tonight's Copa America opener against Colombia at the new San Francisco 49ers stadium!