Yanks Take 2 of 3 vs. Pesky Blue Jays In Toronto

After taking 2 out of 3 against Atlanta at home, the Yankees flew to Toronto to take on those pesky Blue Jays.

And pesky, they most certainly were in the Friday night game. They knocked Sonny Gray out of the box after 2 innings. He had nothing 5 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks.

The Jays, meanwhile, threw 6 pitchers at us, the last being Tyler Clippard, who did not have a meltdown like he did so many times for the Yankees. The only Yankee runs came on a home run in the 3rd inning, and a bases-loaded walk in the 5th, both by Aaron Hicks.

Blue Jays 6, Yankees 2. WP: Joe Biagini (1-5). No save. LP: Gray (5-7). That's right, Sonny: You lost to a guy who was 0-5, and no save was necessary.

*

It was Sevy Saturday. The Yankees badly needed a good start by Luis Severino. "Good" might be too strong of a word: He went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. Having thrown 97 pitches, Aaron Boone decided not to take any more chances with him.

He gave the ball to Jonathan Holder, seemingly unaware that Holder can't pitch. He allowed a 4th run in the 6th. David Robertson pitched a scoreless 7th, and Dellin Betances a scoreless 8th.

The Yankees also badly needed to score some runs. Here's how the 1st inning went: Home run by Brett Gardner, home run by Aaron Judge, walk by Giancarlo Stanton, walk by Hicks, strikeout by Miguel Andujar, strikeout by Didi Gregorius, 2-run double by Brandon Drury, lineout by Kyle Higashioka. So it was 4-0 Yankees before the Jays even came to bat.

Going into the top of the 3rd only up 4-2, the Yankees got a leadoff walk from Didi. Cliche alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. J.A. Happ, a former World Series hero for the Philadelphia Phillies and mentioned in trade rumors (including with the Yankees), got Drury and Higashioka out, but he walked Greg Bird to load the bases.

Jake Petricka was brought in to relieve, and he gave up a triple to Gardner. With Judge up, Jays catcher Luke Maile mishandled a Petricka pitch for a passed ball, and Gardner scored to make it 7-2.

Didi added an RBI single in the 9th to make it 8-4, and Aroldis Chapman was brought in to pitch the 9th. But after getting the 1st out, Boone took him out, and brought in Chasen Shreve. Shreve got Maile to ground out, but then he gave up a home run to Aledmys Diaz to make it 8-5. We were getting nervous. Then he struck Teoscar Hernandez to end it.

Yankees 8, Blue Jays 5. WP: Severino (14-2), No save. LP: Happ (10-5).

*

"Domingo" is Spanish for "Sunday." On Sunday, Boone started Domingo German, who was fine as a reliever, but has been awful as a starter. But this time, he got the job done: 6 innings, 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks, 5 strikeouts. Adam Warren pitched 2 scoreless innings, and Chad Green and David Roberts each pitched a perfect inning.

But you need runs. After Gardner led off the game with a flyout to center, Judge singled, Stanton doubled, and an Andujar groundout got a run home. But Kendrys Morales took German deep in the 6th to tie it. After the innings of Warren and Green, the game went to extra innings.

Maybe spending so much time around the Yankees reignited Clippard's problems. He started the top of the 10th inning by hitting Bird with a pitch. Tyler Wade pinch-ran for him. Austin Romine bunted him over to 2nd, and Gardner singled Wade home (as seen in the photo above). Robertson's perfect 10th sealed the deal.

Yankees 2, Blue Jays 1. WP: Green (5-1). SV: Robertson (2). LP: Clippard (4-3). So, that's 2 out of 3 away to Toronto. I'll gladly take it.