The New York Yankees‘ backs are up against the wall. After Sunday afternoon’s 13-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the ALDS, they are one loss away from elimination.
History is not on the Yankees‘ side, either. In a Division Series with a 2-2-1 format, teams that win the first two games at home have gone on to win 31 of the last 34 series. The last team to overcome a 0-2 Division Series deficit was the Yankees in 2017, when they won three straight contests against the then-Cleveland Indians.
The Yankees dropped the first two games of that 2017 series against the Indians in Cleveland, won the next two games at Yankee Stadium, and then secured a victory in Game 5 against Corey Kluber. Shortstop Didi Gregorius went 3-for-4 at the plate with two home runs against Kluber.
So You’re Saying There’s a Chance
The Blue Jays completely outplayed the Yankees in the first two games. Toronto outscored New York 23-8, and all seven of the runs the Yankees scored on Sunday came after rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage exited with one out in the sixth inning.
Yesavage struck out 11 and allowed no hits in 5.1 scoreless innings, setting a Blue Jays franchise record for strikeouts in a postseason game. He shut down the Yankees‘ offense, and New York needs a comeback identical to 2017 to keep their World Series hopes alive.
“But nothing the Yankees have shown in the first two games suggests they can complete a comeback like the 2017 club,” The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner wrote Monday. “The Blue Jaysâ starting pitching has been better. Their bullpen has been better. And their offense, not New Yorkâs, has looked like the best in the sport. The Blue Jays have eight home runs and seven strikeouts through two games.
The Yankees led MLB with 274 home runs during the regular season, 30 more than their 2024 World Series opponents, the Los Angeles Dodgers. But that power is yet to show up in the postseason. Anthony Volpe hit a solo homer in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox, and Ben Rice hit a two-run shot in Game 2. Cody Bellinger lifted a two-run homer to right field in the sixth inning of yesterday’s contest, but New York already trailed 12-0.
Can the Yankees Recover?
Aaron Judge is the only member of the 2017 Yankees who remains with the organization this season. Judge went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk in Game 2, but starter Max Fried was ineffective, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits in three innings. Fried’s performance left little to no hope of a comeback, no matter what Judge or any other Yankees hitter did on offense.
Judge recalled the 2017 Division Series against Cleveland after Sunday’s loss, stating that the team was in a similar position and had managed to do the unthinkable.
“I can even go back to my rookie year in ’17, we had a Wild Card Game and go to Cleveland, lose those first two against them,” Judge told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “They were division champs that year, too, just coming off an appearance in the World Series. We came out on the other side.”
For the Yankees to come “out on the other side” of their series against the Blue Jays, they’ll need to fix several parts of their game and battle adversity.
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