Blue Jays take full advantage of self-imploding Yankees to win season series
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But the Blue Jays would gladly take it — surviving their own error in Judgement (more on that later) — to take a breathtaking three-game set, and the season series, with the Bronx Bombers following Wednesday night's 8-4 victory at another sold-out Rogers Centre.
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The teams will meet again in the Bronx for a three-game series in early September.
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Following are three takeaways on a night in which the Yankees outhomered the Jays 3-1, but also committed four of the game's five errors and saw Toronto regain its four-game lead atop the AL East.
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PITCHING DUEL
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The rubber match featured a sterling battle of arms, pitting Chris Bassitt and Max Fried, a righty-versus-lefty matchup with Bassitt clearly emerging as the game's best.
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One key difference between the two was the way their teams played behind them.
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The Jays' defensive gems began when Bassitt faced leadoff hitter Trent Grisham, who was robbed of a hit when Leo Jimenez made a great play at second base.
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After throwing three perfect innings to start, Fried was his own worst enemy in the fifth when he fielded Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s chopper up the third base line and tried to get Davis Schneider at home. The throw was slightly off its mark and when catcher J.C. Escarra couldn't corral the ball, George Springer raced in behind Schneider for a second run.
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After the Fried error, then another by outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., right fielder Cody Bellinger failed to locate Clement's routine fly ball with one out in the sixth inning that resulted in a triple and ultimately the Jays retaking the lead, 6-4.
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Bassitt was brilliant in his 7.1-inning outing, although all three of the hits he yielded were homers.
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One of them, Aaron Judge's 37th in the sixth, seemed unnecessary.
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Man on third, one out with first base open, the Jays, up 4-2, decided to pitch to Judge, who has been routinely issued intentional walks.
This time, the Jays decided to pitch to Yankees' mega-star, who sent a ball into straight-away centre for a two-run blast that tied the game.
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As has become custom for these Jays, there were several heroes who emerged.
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After Vladdy had driven in Springer in the fourth to tie the game 1-1, Clement, who has been in a hitting funk of late, came up with the bases loaded and two out and promptly lashed a single to centre to put the Jays ahead 2-1.
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Myles Straw did his part, too, following up the Clement misplayed triple with a double down the left field line to plate what turned out to be the winning run.
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Bo Bichette hit his 13th homer in the seventh to complete the scoring but the Yankees threatened in the eighth when lefty Justin Bruihl — in for Bassitt — gave up back-to-back singles with Judge striding to the plate.
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