The New York Yankees entered Game 1 of the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays riding high following two straight wins over bitter rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in the Wild Card Series.
But things took an unfortunate twist on Saturday, as the Yankees got pounded 10-1 at the hands of an upstart Blue Jays’ club that jumped all over the New York bullpen.
Yankees starter Luis Gil went 2.2 innings, giving up two runs on four hits. That wasn’t exactly a brilliant outing, but good enough to keep the Yanks in the game until the seventh inning.
In the seventh, the wheels came off. Luke Weaver and Fernando Cruz combined for three hits, two walks, and four runs. That made the game 6-1 heading into the eighth.
The Blue Jays tacked on four more against Paul Blackburn, who ended the Yankees’ night tossing a 1.1 innings. Blackburn’s six hits allowed were punctuated by an Alejandro Kirk home run, his second of the game.
For the Yankees, the disappointing performance by the bullpen has to be concerning. The club cannot allow games to get away in the late innings, especially against a tough-hitting lineup like the Blue Jays.
The disastrous seventh and eighth innings spoiled the solid 3.1 innings of relief from Camilo Doval and Tim Hill. They managed to keep the Yankees in the game until it eventually got away from them.
Yankees Starters Must Go Deep into Games
With the Yankees behind 1-0 in the series, the attention now turns to their starters moving forward. Max Fried could likely take the mound for the Yankees in Game 2 on Sunday.
Fried had a fantastic performance against the Red Sox in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series. He pitched six innings, allowing four hits, three walks, and no runs, while striking out six en route to a no-decision.
Likewise, Carlos Rodon and Cam Schlittler must also focus on delivering strong outings against Toronto. In doing so, the Yankees’ starters can cut down on the reliance on the club’s bullpen.
The best-case scenario would be having the Yanks’ starters go deep into games, so that high-leverage arms like Devin Williams and David Bednar can shut the door. Otherwise, the Yankees could be looking at their bullpen working overtime like it did in Game 1 against Toronto.
Offense Must Come Through for Yanks
The Yankees offense mustered just one run against Toronto’s pitching in Game 1. The lone run came off a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning against Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman. Gausman struck out Aaron Judge, and then relieved, Louis Varland got Giancarlo Stanton, stranding the bases full.
That situation is something that must also improve heading into Sunday’s Game 2. The Yankees need to get their offense going, one that hasn’t scored much lately. The Yankees scored nine runs in the three games against Boston.
Given the amount of power in the Yankees’ lineup, it could just be a matter of time before they bust loose. The Yankees last had double-digit run support on September 17 against the Minnesota Twins. So, the offense could be due for a breakout.
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