A day after Dylan Cease flirted with a no-hitter against them, the Yankees needed a bounce-back, and they got a weird one early. George Lombard Jr. booted a routine grounder at second in the bottom of the 4th, the kind of gaffe that's become a running joke around this infield.
George Lombard Jr. pulls a Volpe and boots a routine grounder https://t.co/bzwtHl29Qn
The error didn't matter much in the end, but it kept things tight into the middle innings. With the bases loaded and the game knotted at 2, Toronto's pitcher couldn't find the zone against Trent Grisham, who battled through a long at-bat before drawing the walk that pushed the go-ahead run home.
Walks work! Yankees take the lead thanks to a free pass with the bases loaded https://t.co/lqa5bZzCxQ
That was just the appetizer. Ben Rice worked a full count against Blue Jays lefty Fluharty and delivered a two-run knock that stretched the lead to 5-2, the kind of left-on-left at-bat that's supposed to favor the pitcher and didn't.
Left on left no problem for the Rice man! https://t.co/BLO0EsSA5V
Then Jazz Chisholm Jr. put the game away for good. His 18th homer of the season, a two-run shot at Yankee Stadium, pushed the lead to 7-2 and turned a game the Yankees controlled into one they were comfortably cruising through.
Break it open Jazz https://t.co/3g18zFgALG
Trent Grisham added a solo shot later to round out the scoring, and Carlos Rodon got through his start relatively unscathed even with the Lombard misplay behind him. Eric Hubbs summed it up best afterward: Rodon got burnt a bit by the defense but pitched fine, the bullpen was nails, and Spencer Jones, Austin Wells and Rice all chipped in with big hits before Jazz broke it open.
Had to take the series today. Got it done in mostly stress free fashion Rodon got burnt by the defense but pitched fine. Pen was nails in relief. Spencer, Wells, and Benny with big hits. Trent had the big walk plus a home later. Jazz broke it open. Stay 3 back
The Yankees took the series and stayed within striking distance in the AL East race with Tampa Bay still out in front. Nothing flashy about how this one unfolded, just a lineup that made a struggling Blue Jays pitching staff pay for every mistake.