The Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with Thursday’s 8-4 win.
Here are the key takeaways …
– Michael King got into a tight spot in the first inning, putting the first two runners on before advancing them to second and third with nobody out. But with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the plate, the Yankees found some magic, thanks in part to some very poor Toronto baserunning.
Guerrero hit a slow-roller back to King, who started what eventually turned into a 1-3-6-2-5-6 triple play. After Guerrero was retired at first base, Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette both made bad baserunning choices, allowing the Yankees to turn their second triple play of the season.
– The Yankees got on the board first in the second inning. After a Gio Urshela double and Brett Gardner infield single, Miguel Andujar hit a chopper back to pitcher T.J. Zeuch, who threw the ball into center to allow the first run of the game to score.
– After helping turn the triple play in the first, Urshela made a big impact with his bat later in the game, absolutely crushing a two-run homer of Zeuch in the third inning, putting the Yankees up 3-0. He’d make another stellar defensive play in the fourth, and ended up going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI.
– Gleyber Torres left the game in the top of the fourth inning, as he was pinch-hit for by Rougned Odor. While trying to turn a double play in the bottom of the third, Torres landed a bit awkwardly and tried to brace himself while going down.
The Yankees later announced that Torres left the game with lower back stiffness and he would be re-evaluated on Friday.
– King allowed a pair of runs in the third, and he didn’t seem to have put-away stuff on Thursday, but he battled, going 4.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits with one strikeout and two walks.
He left the game with a 3-2 lead, but Santiago Espinal singled off King and then came around to score with Lucas Luetge on the mound, thanks in part to an Andujar error in left field. The game was tied 3-3 after five innings.
– The Jays took the lead in the sixth after a passed ball on Gary Sanchez and RBI single by Randal Grichuk, but Aaron Judge limited the damage in a big way, timing his leap perfectly to rob Cavan Biggio of a would-be two-run-home run.
But the Bombers would answer right back in the top of the seventh, as Giancarlo Stanton slashed a two-run homer over the wall in right field. His 13th big fly of the season put the Yankees back on top 5-4. Later in the inning, pinch-hitter Chris Gittens drilled a single to the right side, scoring two more runs and extending the lead to 7-4.
– Gittens would add another RBI on a sac fly in the ninth to make it 8-4, and Zack Britton closed the door in the ninth inning to give the Yankees their sweep.
Highlights
What’s next
The Yankees return home for a weekend series with the Oakland A’s, as Yankee Stadium returns to 100 percent capacity.
On Friday, Jameson Taillon is scheduled to take the mound against righty James Kaprielian with first pitch at 7:05 p.m.
