Blue Jays Lose 7-6 at Yankee Stadium After 5-3 Lead
The Toronto Blue Jays left yankee stadium with a 7-6 loss to the New York Yankees on Monday night after leading 5-3 heading to the seventh inning. Toronto could not finish the opener in a series where one swing changed the mood fast.
Yariel Rodriguez and the Seventh
Yariel Rodriguez allowed a pair of two-run home runs, and the Yankees used that stretch to flip the game after Toronto had controlled it through six innings. The Blue Jays were still close enough to threaten in the ninth, when they nearly came back against Yankees closer David Bednar.
George Springer supplied Toronto’s biggest early response with his first home run since March 30, a towering solo shot to left-centre field off left-hander Ryan Weathers. Springer went 2-for-5, and the home run came after he had been out from April 11 to April 29 with a fractured toe.
Buster Olney on Toronto
By Tuesday morning, Buster Olney was pointing to the larger picture in the American League, where three teams sit within two and a half games of the third wild-card spot. He said, "The Blue Jays, with all that they’re going through, three teams are all within two and a half games of the third wild-card spot. It’s incredible how wide open the American League is," and added, "It’s certainly a difficult situation that you see in the National League where teams are buried now. Not in the American League. In the American League, for the Blue Jays, today is another day. And you can pick yourself up and figure it out as long as they get these guys back from the injured list."
Springer and the Standings
Toronto sits five games under.500 after the loss and 10.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East. Olney also said, "That they’re still looking for some kind of traction, right? They need Alejandro Kirk back. They need some of the pitching to get settled. They’re one of many teams who have dealt with bullpen issues this year," while noting that Springer’s homer might help him reset. The Blue Jays were 21-26 at this point last season and one game back of the final wild-card spot, and that is the lane they are still trying to keep open now.
