The game within the game featured Kevin Gausman, an experienced arm whose voice inside the Blue Jays’ clubhouse carries considerable cache, versus Cam Schlittler, an emerging arm whose toolkit is among baseball’s best.
They didn’t disappoint. A sell-out crowd basked in the sun and witnessed a classic pitcher’s duel. The first hit each starter surrendered left the ballpark in a game that was tight and tense and very pleasing to the eye.
Gausman Shines but Gets No Decision
Gausman gave up one hit through seven innings in as compelling a matchup as played between these two AL East rivals this season. In the Bronx, the teams split their four-game set, the Yankees winning the opening two, the Jays responding by taking the finale two. Toronto had the upper hand entering Saturday afternoon after dispatching the Yankees in Friday night’s series opener.
Gausman’s day ended after seven innings, as did his counterpart. Fittingly, each starter registered seven strikeouts, each having thrown in excess of 100 pitches. The lone hit given up by Gausman was a solo homer by Jasson Dominguez in the fourth inning.
Goldschmidt Delivers Decisive Blow
The day’s biggest hit was produced by Paul Goldschmidt, who took reliever Louis Varland for a two-run blast in the ninth inning as the Yankees lived up to their Bronx Bombers moniker by beating the Blue Jays 3-1. Five hits were recorded by the visitors, but two were homers that accounted for three runs.
The following are three takeaways from a day when an announced sold-out crowd of 42,364 was on the edge of its seats, but ultimately witnessed a defeat that dropped Toronto’s record to 34-37, while the Yankees improved to 42-27.
1. McAdoo Can Do and Doesn’t
In his MLB debut, Charles McAdoo hit a homer in his third at-bat. There’s been the odd occasion when McAdoo is asked to play first base. Saturday was another. Steady can best describe his presence on the field, but stellar neatly sums up the play McAdoo made in the eighth inning with runners on the corners and two outs. His scintillating stab of a hard-hit ball by Dominguez saved a run as reliever Tyler Rogers began the frame and ended it by yielding two hits.
Fernando Cruz began the bottom of the eighth by promptly issuing a leadoff walk. A second free pass followed before Cruz retired the next two hitters. A third walk loaded the bases as McAdoo stepped up to the plate in his biggest moment of the season. He popped out in foul territory for the third out.
2. Kazuma Goes Kaboom
While prone to striking out, Kazuma Okamoto has also shown an ability to go yard. For the fourth time this season, his first in the bigs following elite seasons in Japan, Okamoto produced back-to-back homer games. His most lethal stretch played out when the Jays were in Minny early last month, a series that saw Okamoto belt four home runs during a three-game stretch.
In the Jays’ series-opening win over the Bronx Bombers, Okamoto hit a defining belt that landed in the 500 level. Saturday’s dinger was more a line drive that cleared the wall in left field. Still, it was his 15th homer of the season as Okamoto, who hit third in the order, extended his club lead while moving into a tie for 18th in baseball.
The Jays’ No. 3 hitter is normally Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who hit leadoff during this homestand and batted second. Vlad Jr. is nursing a tight back and was given Saturday off. Another staple in the lineup is Daulton Varsho, whose wrist discomfort landed him on the IL. The hope is Varsho can resume activity early next week after receiving a cortisone injection. The Jays begin a six-game road trip Tuesday in Boston. Nathan Lukes started in centre and hit second. He moved to right field when Myles Straw entered the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning.
3. KISS Principle
Bear with us for a moment when detailing Ernie Clement’s success against Yankees pitching. His walk-up song, I Was Made For Lovin’ You, is one of many made famous by the rock band Kiss. Mere seconds after positioning himself in the batter’s box, Clement stroked a single off Schlittler, who had just retired three in a row via strikeouts. Clement’s hit continued a run against the Pinstripers that has seen the all-star in-waiting record at least one hit in nine straight games dating back to last fall’s ALDS.
Entering the day, Clement had posted a career average of .305 in 36 career games against New York. He went 1-for-4 Saturday. His afternoon began on the right foot when he booted a ball hit to second by Yankees leadoff hitter Ben Rice, Clement’s fifth error of the season.
Up Next
LHP Patrick Corbin is scheduled to make his 13th start of the season Sunday (1:37 p.m. first pitch), hoping to bounce back from his most recent outing when he gave up five earned runs in 3 innings against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. The Yankees are scheduled to have RHP Will Warren (7-1, 3.28 ERA) on the mound in the series rubber match.
