An otherwise positive weekend for the Jays ended on a negative note Sunday.
After taking two of the first three in the four-game series with New York and with Kevin Gausman on the hill, the chance for a series win looked good initially. But three batters into the New York order and that thinking changed dramatically.
With Juan Soto on first after a single to right, Aaron Judge cranked his league-leading 31st homer of the year off the batter’s eye in dead centre for a quick 2-0 Yankees lead that put them on their way to a rather easy 8-1 win.
Gausman wasn’t fooling any Yankees on Sunday afternoon, save maybe for leadoff man Anthony Volpe, who he struck out three times in four innings.
But give the Jays righty credit for managing to stick around into the fifth because it didn’t look like he would last much past the first two innings.
After Kevin Kiermeirer bailed him out with a nice catch to end the first on a Gleyber Torres drive to centre, Gausman walked the first two hitters of the second and then gave up back-to-back singles. With the bases still loaded, he walked Juan Soto to force in another run and put the Yankees up 4-0.
He faced 13 batter in those first two innings and looked done for the day, but came back in the third and fourth to hold the Yankees off temporarily at least and, more importantly, save the bullpen from a longer day.
Even so, manager John Schneider needed five more pitchers after Gausman to get through the day, putting some pressure on Monday’s starter Yariel Rodriguez to extend himself a little and get deeper into the game than he has been doing.
Gausman wound up charged with seven of the eight runs the Yankees would score on the afternoon.
New York starter Gerrit Cole, making just his third start since a long stint on the injured list, got through five innings on 90 pitches to earn the win.
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The lone run he allowed came on a Justin Turner single to centre that scored Spencer Horwitz in the second inning. It was also the lone run the Jays would score for the day.
The Jays are right back at it on Monday afternoon for the annual Canada Day game with Houston arriving in town for its own four-game series with Toronto. First pitch goes at 3:07 p.m.