Have the Yankees Finally Turned the Corner?

Yankee general manager Brian Cashman, normally too much of a coward to do so, met the media yesterday afternoon, at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, temporary home of those pesky Toronto Blue Jays, with the Yankees sitting at 33-32, in another injury crisis, and seemingly out of the Playoff hunt already.

He gave an update on Luis Severino: A groin injury will push his return back a month. Now, we'll be lucky to see him in Pinstripes before August.

Then, asked if he is sure Aaron Boone is the right manager for the Yankees, he said, "We made this bed and we are going to sleep in it. We are in this together."

Wow, some vote of confidence, as a series with the Jays began.

Jordan Montgomery started for the Yankees, and he did not pitch well, allowing 5 runs without getting out of the 6th inning. Gary Sanchez hit a home run in the 2nd to make it 1-1, and Chris Gittens hit his 1st major league home run in the 4th, to make it 2-2.

Gittens dedicated the homer to his newborn son. I can see the conversation now:

Son: "Dad, tell me about your first major league home run."

Father: "Well, son, it happened in Buffalo, New York."

Son: "But Buffalo doesn't have a major league team."

Father: "Well son, it was like this... "

Anyway, the Yankees went into the top of the 6th trailing 5-2. But a single by Gio Urshela, a double by the heating-up Sanchez and a groundout by Miguel Andujar made it 5-3. The Yankee announcers were talking about getting past Jays starter Hyn Jin Ryu and to their struggling bullpen. Sure enough, with Anthony Castro coming in to pitch the top of the 7th, Brett Gardner led it off with a home run.

DJ LeMahieu doubled, and advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch. Aaron Judge struck out, but with Gleyber Torres up, Castro threw another wild pitch, and the game was tied. The Yankees have done had too many comebacks this season, so this was a welcome occurrence.

Andujar led off the top of the 8th with a single off Tim Mayza. Gittens struck out. Boone sent Tyler Wade in to pinch-run for Andujar, and Clint Frazier up to pinch-hit for Gardner. A pinch-hitter for the guy who hit a home run in his last at-bat? Boone was replacing a lefty with a righty to face a lefty.

Jays manager Charlie Montoyo responded to these chess moves by bringing in Jordan Romano, a righthander and one of the few Toronto-area natives to play for the Blue Jays (from Markham, Ontario). Wade stole 2nd, and Frazier doubled him home to give the Yankees the lead.

Zack Britton, who came off the Injured List in time to pitch in the awful 7-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, pitched a hitless 8th. And Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect 9th.

Yankees 6, Blue Jays 5. WP: Jonathan Loaisiga (6-2, he only pitched the 7th and was a little shaky, but he was the Yankee pitcher when the lead was taken, so he's the winning pitcher.) SV: Chapman (13). LP: Mayza (1-1).

Cliche Alert: The Yankees have "turned the corner." Well, maybe, this time, they really have. I hope so.

The series continues tonight. Gerrit Cole starts against Ross Stripling. Now that I think about it, each of these names sounds like a bad law firm.