Could This Be the Spark the Yankees Have Needed?

The Yankees needed a win in yesterday's series finale with the Toronto Blue Jays about as badly as we Yankee Fans needed an Alka-Seltzer after the game before.

Nestor Cortes started, and was strong, going 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 1 walk. That should have been enough for the Yankee bats to get the job done.

With 2 out in the bottom of the 1st, Anthony Rizzo singled. So did DJ LeMahieu, and Jays left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. mishandled it, allowing Rizzo to score. In the 3rd, that combination struck again: First, Andrew Benintendi drew a walk, then Aaron Judge struck out, then Rizzo walked, and LeMahieu singled.

That made it 2-1 Yankees, and that score held after 6. Then Aaron Boone did something dumb. (How dumb was it?) He decided -- or, maybe, Brian Cashman decided for him -- that 103 pitches was too many to send Cortes back out to start the top of the 7th. So he compounded this dumb decision with another one: He brought Jonathan Loáisiga in to pitch. He allowed single, groundout, walk.

Boone took Loáisiga out, which was a smart decision. Then he compounded his 2 dumb decisions with a 3rd dumb decision: He brought Wandy Peralta in. He allowed a single that loaded the bases, and then he walked home the tying run. (What have I told everyone about walks? They can kill you.) Fortunately, Peralta got an out on his 3rd batter. Having fulfilled the 3-batter rule, Boone replaced him with Lou Trivino, who got the Yankees out of the inning without further damage.

Jose Trevino led off the bottom of the 7th with a single. Marwin González bunted him over to 2nd. This ended up not mattering, because Benintendi hit his 1st home run as a Yankee. Could this late clutch hit be the spark the Yankees have needed?

Trivino had his best game as a  Yankee so far: He pitched a perfect 8th, and allowed a walk but no hits in the 9th. Yankees 4, Blue Jays 2. WP: Trivino (2-7). No save. LP: Adam Cimber (9-5).

The Yankees did not embarrass anybody who was on hand for the retirement of Number 21 for Paul O'Neill. They included Tino Martinez, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and former longtime head athletic trainer Gene Monahan. Video messages were played from David Cone, Joe Torre, Don Mattingly, Derek Jeter, and Roberto Clemente Jr., who formerly broadcast for the Yankees on Spanish radio station WADO.

With 40 games to go, the Yankees lead the American League Eastern Division by 8 games, 7 in the loss column, over both the Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays. Their Magic Number to clinch the Division is 34. They trail the Houston Astros by 3 1/2 games, 3 in the loss column, for home-field advantage in the AL Playoffs.

Next up: A pair of Citi Series games against The Other Team. Tonight, Domingo Germán starts against Max Scherzer. Tomorrow night, Frankie Montas starts for us, and the Flushing outfit haven't yet named a starter. Giancarlo Stanton will still not be available: Yesterday, he began his injury rehab with Double-A Somerset. And several players, including Aaron Judge, are still in slumps.