Another night, another game of stagnant Yankees offense.
New York’s slump continued as they dropped their second consecutive game to the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-0. The shutout loss was the third time in the Yankees’ last six games that they were held without a single run.
They have not scored more than two runs in a game in over a week and the Yankees were held to just four hits on Friday night. The loss cost the Yankees another game in what had once been a double-digit lead in the AL East.
The Blue Jays now only trail the Yanks by eight games for the top spot in the division.
Things have become increasingly concerning in the Bronx as the Yankees have stumbled even further in the month of August. They had entered Friday’s game having lost 12 of their last 15 games and being outscored 72-49 over that stretch.
Jameson Taillon threw five-plus innings for the Yankees in the loss, while giving up three Blue Jays runs on six hits. He struck out five and surrendered one home run.
Lou Trivino, Wandy Peralta, Jonathan Loáisiga, Aroldis Chapman and Ron Marinaccio all came into the game in relief for the Yankees. Chapman struggled again in his brief appearance in the ninth by walking two batters, which eventually led to the Blue Jays to score their fourth run of the game.
The Blue Jays’ first run of the night came in the top of the third inning after Toronto got hits from the first two batters at the plate. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. grounded out to short, but Whit Merrifield was able to score from third to make it 1-0 Blue Jays.
Taillon was able to get out of the inning, but in the fourth the Blue Jays added two more runs. Alejandro Kirk hit a single to left field on a 2-2 curveball to start the inning and Teoscar Hernandez hit a first-pitch fastball 421 feet into the Blue Jays’ bullpen to put Toronto ahead by three.
The Jays added one more run in the ninth when a sac fly from Danny Janson allowed Matt Chapman to score from third.
For more New York Yankees news, turn to AMNY.com
One of the few bright spots on Friday night was the play of rookie Oswaldo Cabrera, who has provided just about the only spark for the Yankees since he was called up this week. Cabrera was back in the starting lineup in his third different position in the field, being called up to play right in the second game against the Jays.
He robbed Gurriel Jr. of a home run in the first at-bat of the game by making a leaping catch at the wall and then later in the game made a hustle play to snag a ball hit to right. Cabrera also hit a single in the bottom of the fifth.
