The New York Yankees won their third straight series of the season this weekend, beating the Toronto Blue Jays twice at home. New York is now 8-2 on the season and will head to Miami, where they’ll face off against the 0-9 Marlins.
The series was a superb one for Giancarlo Stanton, who went 3 for 4 at the plate in game two and blasted a grand slam into left field in game three. Anthony Volpe continued his hot streak, going a combined 5 for 11 in the series with 3 runs scored. Marcus Stroman maintained his perfect 0.00 ERA with a stellar game-one performance.
New York didn’t get a ton of mileage out of their game two and three starters (Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil, respectively) and thus had to burn through their bullpen. The Yankees were forced to use four relievers in games two and three. Nonetheless, Schmidt and Gil delivered decent performances, each allowing two runs in 4.1 innings of work. And with the woeful Marlins up next on the calendar, perhaps it won’t be too difficult for Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes Jr. to rack up some innings and allow their relievers a breather.
GAME ONE
NYY - 0
TOR - 3
New York came into their home opener riding high. Their record stood at 6-1. They swept a four-game series against the Houston Astros, then earned two victories in a three-game series against the reigning National League Champion Arizona Diamondbacks. Toronto ruined the Yankees’ blissful high like an empty snack pantry, winning the first game of the series 3-0.
Marcus Stroman was lights out, pitching six full innings and giving up only three hits and no runs. His ERA remained a perfect 0.00 on the year. But New York’s bullpen was thoroughly humbled. Caleb Ferguson gave up a run in two-thirds of an inning, and Dennis Santana gave up two more runs in 1.2 innings.
Offensively, New York barely made any noise despite a boisterous home crowd. The heart of the lineup – Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton – went a combined 0 for 10. No hitter managed anything better than a single. Anthony Volpe tried to breathe some life into the sputtering offense with a pair of hits, but he also got caught trying to steal second base. The mistake was one of the few Volpe has made this year. Going into the Toronto series, he had the highest OPS of any Yankee.
GAME TWO
NYY - 9
TOR - 8
The Yankees lineup redeemed itself in game two, piling on six runs in the first two innings. The run fest was led by a two-run dinger from Aaron Judge, a solo shot by Giancarlo Stanton, and a deep sac fly ball from Gleyber Torres. Anthony Rizzo added a two-run bomb in the fifth, his first homer of the season. Stanton finished 3 for 4 on the night, and Judge and Soto were 2 for 3, with 2 walks and 2 RBI.
Clarke Schmidt kept the Yankees competitive in 4.1 innings of work against Toronto, giving up two runs. But the bullpen blew a sizable lead, making the game unexpectedly come down to the final outs. Luke Weaver weaved himself an ugly little wicker basket of a relief appearance, allowing three runs in two innings. Ian Hamilton, surprisingly, also gave up three runs in less than one full inning. Thankfully, Clay Holmes mopped up the mess, giving the Yankees a close 9-8 win that should’ve been a blowout.
New York’s only error in the game occurred in the top of the seventh, when posers at Yankee Stadium started doing the wave.
GAME THREE
NYY - 8
TOR - 3
On Sunday, the Yankees did not rest. In the bottom of the third, they exploded offensively with five runs. Four of those came from Stanton, who hit a 417-foot laserbeam grand slam to left field. Prior to the Stanton dinger, Rizzo worked a walk with the bases loaded. In the bottom of the sixth, Volpe scooted home on a wild pitch, upping New York’s lead to 6-3. He stole second and third in the eighth, then scored on an Oswaldo Cabrera single. Volpe finished the day 3 for 4 at the plate, scoring two of New York’s eight runs.
Much like Schmidt the day before, Starter Luis Gil held down the fort, allowing two runs in 4.1 innings and striking out eight batters. Reliever Jake Cousins had a tough day, allowing two walks and one run in only one inning. But Nick Burdi, Caleb Ferguson, and Dennis Santana kept the Blue Jays at bay, securing an 8-3 Yankees victory.
Be sure to check out JerseySportingNews.com all season long for more Yankees Coverage.
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