Yankees Open Series Against Blue Jays With Sloppy, Shutout Loss
NEW YORK — Just over one week after winning 13 games in a row, the Yankees are playing like a team that's bound to watch the postseason from home.
Opening an important four-game set with the Blue Jays, a club surging in the standings of late, New York was shut out and shellacked, managing just five hits in a sloppy, 8-0 loss.
It didn't take long for Toronto to set the tone. Jameson Taillon gave up two home runs in the first inning—blasts off the bats of Marcus Semien and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The right-hander quickly snapped into a groove, though, giving New York the length they needed. Taillon went on to give up only three runs over seven solid frames, giving his team an opportunity to win.
The offense behind him, however, was nonexistent. Blue Jays starter Hyun Jin Ryu held the Yankees to three scattered hits over six scoreless frames before Toronto's bullpen recorded the final nine outs with ease. The Yankees were unable to get a baserunner past second base in the blowout loss.
New York's defense struggled in this one as well. The Bombers made three errors in the first three innings, including two from sure-handed third baseman Gio Urshela.
Toronto had already pulled away heading into the ninth, but their high-octane offense wasn't done. The Jays put up a five-spot on right-hander Brooks Kriske, including a grand slam from Semien, sending countless fans in the Bronx to the exits.
The loss is New York's third in a row, their seventh in nine games. Just when it looked like this club was catching fire, battling adversity with a historic stretch, those in pinstripes are going the wrong direction in September.
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