The Toronto Blue Jays administered a historic two-game beatdown against the New York Yankees, unleashing a special rookie and a relentless offensive attack before getting out of Canada with a 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series.
Behind a suffocating no-hit effort from Trey Yesavage, who was making just his fourth major league start, and an offense that lashed five home runs, the Blue Jays defeated the Yankees 13-7 in Game 2 of the ALDS before an overflow crowd of dopamine-addled fans at Rogers Centre.
‘This has got to be cloud nine,’ Yesavage told reporters after the game. ‘I couldn’t imagine a better feeling right now.’
Toronto, the top seed in these AL playoffs, can eliminate New York in Game 3 on Oct. 7. Right-hander Shane Bieber will oppose Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón.
The proceedings in the Bronx almost have to be tenser than the laughers up north.
The Blue Jays won Game 1 10-1 and outscored the Yankees 23-8 in the two games as New York gave up 10 or more runs in consecutive playoff games for the first time in their history.
In Game 2, it was the Yesavage show for the first five-plus innings, as he struck out 11, walked just one and allowed no hits in 5 ⅓ innings. The Yankees were helpless against his split-finger pitch flailing at balls in the dirt and looking at splits he landed in the strike zone.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Guerrero’s grand slam and Daulton Varsho’s two-homer, two-double staked Toronto to leads of 11-0 after four innings and 13-2 after six. They chased Yankee ace Max Fried after three-plus innings and hit four homers off long man Will Warren, who gamely nudged the game into the eighth inning.
New York’s five-run seventh forced Toronto to deploy seven relief pitchers, but only one number mattered in the end: The Blue Jays are up 2-0, with three chances to eliminate the defending AL champs.
Here’s how Sunday’s game unfolded:
Yankees cut into Jays’ lead, trail 13-7
It’s not getting uncomfortable just yet for the Toronto Blue Jays. Just a little closer than they’d prefer.
After scoring the first 12 runs of AL Division Series Game 2, the Blue Jays bullpen could not usher the game safely into garbage time, as the New York Yankees scored seven runs in the sixth and seventh innings to cut Toronto’s advantage to 13-7.
After Blue Jays manager John Schneider lifted rookie sensation Trey Yesavage with one out in the sixth inning, the Yankees pounced on five Blue Jays relievers, with lefty Eric Lauer and right-hander Tommy Nance each recording just one out while combining to give up five runs.
By the end of five-run seventh, Schneider had to turn to one of his higher-leverage relievers, Mason Fluharty, to record the final out. Yet even if the Blue Jays dig all the way through their bullpen, both clubs are off Monday before Game 3 at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 7.
Daulton Varsho hits another home run
Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho is putting on a legendary performance, clubbing his second home run of the game in the bottom of the sixth, running Toronto’s advantage to 13-2.
Varsho is 4-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs to go with the homers.
Yankees end no-hitter, Cody Bellinger homers
Trey Yesavage was relieved after 5.1 hitless innings and 11 strikeouts, getting a rousing standing ovation at the Rogers Centre. Justin Bruihl came in for the Blue Jays and gave up a single to Aaron Judge, ending the combined no-hit bid in the bottom of hte sixth. Cody Bellinger followed with a two-run homer for the Yankees’ first runs of the game.
Daulton Varsho home run makes it 11-0
Two batters after Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s monstrous grand slam gave the Blue Jays a 9-0 lead, Daulton Varsho hit a two-run homer off Will Warren to push Toronto’s total into double digits.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grand slam blows it open
Trey Yesavage has 10 Ks through four
Making just his fourth MLB start, Trey Yesavage has been utterly dominating, racking up 10 strikeouts through four innings – already a franchise postseason record. The Yankees have only managed one hit against the 22-year-old right-hander.
Blue Jays extend lead to 5-0
The Blue Jays have tagged Max Fried for seven hits, adding three runs in the bottom of the third to extend their lead to 5-0. Alejandro Kirk had an RBI groundout to start the frame’s scoring, then Daulton Varsho hit an RBI double and Ernie Clement added an RBI single.
Ernie Clement home run puts Blue Jays in front
An early home run has once again given the Toronto Blue Jays the upper hand in their AL Division Series against the New York Yankees.
Ernie Clement, who had not gone deep since Aug. 12, golfed a Max Fried pitch over the wall in left field as the Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead heading to the bottom of the third.
Daulton Varsho got the first jab in on 19-game winner Fried, pulling a double down the right field line that took a funny hop past Aaron Judge for an error. Clement, who had nine homers in 545 plate appearances this year, took advantage of a first-pitch curveball that hung in the zone.
Meanwhile, rookie Trey Yesavage, making just his fourth career major league start, struck out seven in his first three innings.
Trey Yesavage dazzles in first inning
Making just his fourth big league start, 22-year-old Trey Yesavage struck out three Yankees in the top of the first, working around a one-out walk for Aaron Judge.
Toronto’s first round pick in 2024, Yesavage made his MLB debut in September against the Tampa Bay Rays, striking out nine in five innings.
Yankees vs Blue Jays prediction, odds for Game 2
Yankees lineup today
Trent Grisham (L) CF
Aaron Judge (R) RF
Cody Bellinger (L) LF
Ben Rice (L) 1B
Giancarlo Stanton (R) DH
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L) 2B
Ryan McMahon (L) 3B
Anthony Volpe (R) SS
Austin Wells (L) C
Blue Jays lineup
George Springer (R) DH
Davis Schneider (R) LF
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
Alejandro Kirk (R) C
Daulton Varsho (L) CF
Ernie Clement (R) 3B
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (R) 2B
Andrés Giménez (L) SS
Myles Straw (R) RF
Who is pitching for the Yankees today?
Left-hander Max Fried (19-5, 2.86 ERA) starts for the Yankees in Game 2. He tossed 6 ⅓ shutout innings in the firsst game of the AL wild card series against the Red Sox.
Fried signed an eight-year, $218 million free agent deal with the Yankees last winter after pitching eight seasons or the Atlanta Braves.
Trey Yesavage stats, scouting report
TORONTO — In his fourth MLB start, Blue Jays’ right-hander Trey Yesavage draws the Yankees in a playoff game.
It’s Game 2 of the AL Division Series, and the Yankees will try to get even in this best-of-five with veteran lefty Max Fried going against Toronto’s top prospect – a 2024 first-round draft pick out of East Carolina. The 6-foot-4 Yesavage, 22, has pitched just 14 big-league innings, not going more than five innings in any of his three MLB starts – two against Tampa Bay, one against Kansas City.
Veteran starters Chris Bassitt (back) and Max Scherzer (9.00 ERA last 6 starts) are not on the Jays’ ALDS roster, and Yesavage said he was ‘beyond floored” when manager John Schneider told him he’d pitch Game 2.
– Pete Caldera, NorthJersey.com
Aaron Boone on Trey Yesavage
Before Game 2, Yankees manager Aaron Boone discussed facing Trey Yesavage for the first time.
‘He looks tough. He looks good. He’s obviously had some success here to start out his big league career,’ Boone said. ‘Kind of a unique delivery, real over the top, downhill, obviously a very good split-fingered. Typically tough on lefties, and obviously we run a lot of those out there.’
José Caballero talks time with Yankees
The Yankees acquired José Caballero from the Rays at the trade deadline and the speedy infielder delivered down the stretch with 15 steals and an .828 OPS in 40 games.
‘It feels really good to fit in the group with so many stars, so many good players that are being proved in the league,’ Caballero told reporters before Game 2. ‘Just being here is something that I take pride of just because being in this group is such an honor for me.
‘It’s a complete team. I just add a little more speed. That’s pretty much it. That’s what I can see. But this team is just amazing, and I’m really proud to be here and to be around this group of guys.’
What time is Yankees vs Blue Jays Game 2?
First pitch is at 4:08 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre In Toronto.
Aaron Judge ‘didn’t get the job done’ in Game 1
Aaron Judge had two hits for the Yankees in Game 1, but the superstar struck out with the bases loaded and none out in the sixth with New York trailing just 2-0. Judge flailed at a 3-2 splitter from Kevin Gausman that wound up low and outside.
‘I wouldn’t say overanxious,’ Judge said. ‘If you saw the whole at-bat, I definitely took some tough pitches. But in the end, I didn’t get the job done. That’s why he’s been in this game for a long time and had a lot of success. That’s his bread and butter.’ — Field Level Media