Yanks Bounce Back, Make It 3 of 4 In Toronto

After a disastrous loss, you always want to bounce back with a win. The Yankees closed their series away to the Toronto Blue Jays by sending Nestor Cortés out to start. He pitched 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk, striking out 6.

The game began with with Gleyber Torres hitting a single and Aaron Judge hiting a home run. Bo Bichette followed this with a solo home run in the bottom of the 1st. The game remained 2-1 through 6 innings. Oswaldo Cabrera led off the top of the 7th with a double. After 2 outs, Aaron Hicks singled him home, making it 3-1.

But you know what I say about leadoff walks. Sending Cortés out to start the bottom of the 7th was the right thing to do, but he walked the leadoff batter. Ryan Weber was sent in, and pitched to the minimum 3 batters, allowing a single and a walk to load the bases with nobody out, before getting a short flyout on which the runner on 3rd couldn't score. He did on the next fly, but a great catch by Harrison Bader in center field ended the inning with the Yankees still on top.

Albert Abreu pitched a perfect 8th. And Hicks got 3 hits. If it was Bizarro Night in Toronto, I'll take it. Anthony Volpe added a home run, which he really needed after his 10th-inning error the night before. Ron Marinaccio pitched a perfect 9th. Yankees 4, Blue Jays 2. WP: Cortés (4-2). SV: Marinaccio (1). LP: José Berríos (3-4). So the Yankees took 3 out of 4, on the road, from those pesky Blue Jays.

Bad news, though: Catcher Jose Trevino went on the Injured List with a hamstring strain. So Kyle Higashioka was last night's catcher. Coming off the Injured List, Ben Rortvedt has been called up. Due to injuries, the man has played all of 39 games in the major leagues, all with the Minnesota Twins in 2021. He came over in the deal for Gary Sánchez, now with the Mets. They took 2 out of 3 from the Tampa Bay Rays this week, so the Yankees are now 6 1/2 games out of 1st place in the American League Eastern Division.

Tonight, the Yankees begin an Interleague series, away to the Cincinnati Reds. Clarke Schmidt starts against Ben Lively. The Reds have a losing record, but are only 5 games out in the National League Central Division.