Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Game #47 Toronto Blue Jays (26-21) @ New York Yankees (27-21) - game recap

 

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was 3-4 with 2 runs scored and a pair of RBI in a 20-6 loss to the Yankees
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was 3-4 with 2 runs scored and 2RBI in a 20-6 loss to the Yankees

The Blue Jays opened up the final road trip of the season at Yankee stadium. Taijuan Walker got the start. Alejandro Kirk got his second career start behind the plate. Vlad got the half day off, serving as the DH, with Travis Shaw at 1B. Cavan Biggio was at the hot corner for the second straight game with Joe Panik playing 2B. Derek Fisher got the start in RF. Could the Blue Jays start the week with a win? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game Highlights:

  • The Blue Jays opened the scoring in the top of the 2nd as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lined a solo blast to right-center
  • The Yankees tied the game in the bottom half of the 2nd inning as Brett Gardner singled home Gio Urshela 
  • Two batters later, Tyler Wade singled scoring Clint Frazier 
  • A batter later, DJ LeMahieu singled home Gardner 
  • A batter later, Luke Volt smashed a 3-run bomb to left ; also scoring Wade and LeMahieu 
  • A batter later, Aaron Hicks whacked a solo blast to right
  • Taijuan Walker pitching line: 1.2IP 6H 7R (1 earned) 0BB 2K 43 pitches (28 for strikes)
  • The Yankees added a run in the bottom of the 3rd as Gary Sanchez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in Urshela
  • A batter later, Wade was plunked by a pitch, forcing in Frazier 
  • A batter later, LeMahieu cleared the bases with a double scoring Wade, Sanchez and Gardner 
  • The Blue Jays got a pair back in the top of the 4th as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a 2-run blast to left; also scoring Guerrero Jr.
  • The Yankees added three more runs in the bottom half of the inning on a 3-run bomb to left by Sanchez; also scoring Urshela and Frazier 
  • Three batters later, Volt singled home LeMahieu
  • The Yankees added a run in the bottom of the 6th as Volt smacked a solo blast to left-center 
  • The Yankees added 2 more runs in the bottom of the 7th on a 2-run bomb to right-center by Frazier; also scoring Thairo Estrada
  • Deivi Garcia pitching line: 7IP 6H 3R (all earned) 2BB 6K 88 pitches (58 for strikes)
  • The Yankees added a run in the bottom of the 8th as LeMahieu whacked a solo blast to left
  • The Blue Jays got one back in the top of the 9th as Panik doubled home Gurriel Jr.
  • Two batters later, Panik scored on a fielder's choice hit by Fisher 
  • Two batters later, Bo Bichette doubled home Fisher 
  • Final score: Yankees 20 Blue Jays 6

My Take:

  • What an ugly 2nd inning for Taijuan Walker and the Blue Jays, who got lit up for 7 runs (just 1 earned thanks to a missed catch by Derek Fisher) while walking none and striking out 2 
  • The next inning, 2 of the five runs were largely self-inflicted by Shun Yamaguchi, who walked the bases loaded, then hit two batters in a row, before giving up a bases clearing double
  • Santiago Espinal pitched the 8th inning, as he did 5 days ago when the Mets blew out the Blue Jays. 
  • Innings 2-4, the Yankees sent 29 batters to the plate and scored 16 runs on 11 hits, a horrible fielding error by Derek Fisher, 2 hit batters, 4 walks (and 2 more walks after the 16th run had scored). And the damage could have been even worse with a runner stranded on 2nd base in the 3rd inning and the bases left loaded in the 4th inning
  • Ken Giles' 2nd appearance went slightly better. Although he gave up a HR on the 3rd pitch (he gave up a HR Friday on his first pitch coming off the IL), he had a strikeout and needed just 8 pitches to get through the inning
  • Vladimir Guerrero and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. combined for half the offence tonight (6-9 with 4 runs scored and 3RBI)
  • The Blue Jays left 8 runners on base, which would have still left them trailing by 6 had they cashed in all 8
  • Up next, the Blue Jays try to even the series and back into a tie for 2nd in the AL East. They will be  in tough with 2019 Cy Young finalist Gerritt Cole on the bump for the Yankees. The Blue Jays will counter with Tanner Roark