Yankees takeaways from Monday's 7-4 win over Blue Jays, including another Aaron Judge multi-home run game
The Yankees hit three home runs, including two in the first inning, and held on for a 7-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.
Here are some takeaways...
- Aaron Judge got things started off with a bang, launching a solo home run to right field with one out in the top of the first off Alek Manoah to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead. After Gleyber Torres singled with two outs, Willie Calhoun crushed a fastball for a two-run blast to put New York up 3-0.
- Right-hander Jimmy Cordero made the start as an opener and needed only nine pitches to get through the first inning. The 31-year-old came out to pitch the second, and got some help from rookie phenom Anthony Volpe on a leaping catch to take away a hit from Daulton Varsho for the first out. Cordero then got slugger Matt Chapman to line out to deep left on a nice play by Jake Bauers for the second out, and finished the inning by forcing Whit Merrifield to ground out.
Jhony Brito replaced Cordero in the third and got Alejandro Kirk to ground into the 5-4-3 double-play for the first two outs and then got an easy lineout.
- Leading off the fourth, Volpe put on the jets and doubled on a hit off the chalk down the third base line. Oswaldo Cabrera walked and then Kyle Higashioka drove in Volpe to make it 4-0 and give the Yanks runners at the corners. Aaron Hicks walked to load the bases, but Bauers popped up to short for the first out. Judge picked up another RBI with a walk to push the lead to 5-0, but that was all the Yanks would get, as Anthony Rizzo grounded into the 6-3 double-play to end the inning.
Brito kept the shutout going as he tossed a quick 1-2-3 fourth thanks to an inning-ending double-play. The right-hander sent down another three straight Blue Jays in the fifth, capping it off with a backwards K.
- Bauers walked with one away in the top of the sixth and then stole second base, forcing the Blue Jays to intentionally walk Judge. Rizzo then drove in Bauers with a double to center to put the Yanks up 6-0. Brito made it eight straight retired to start the sixth, before allowing a double to Kevin Kiermaier. The 25-year-old then got George Springer to ground out and end the inning. Brito came back out for the seventh inning and tossed another 1-2-3 innings, including a strikeout of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- Hicks and Bauers struck out back-to-back in the top of the eighth, and then manager Aaron Boone was ejected for arguing balls and strikes after a low pitch to Judge. The reigning MVP had the last laugh, demolishing a slider to the upper deck in center field to give the Yanks a 7-0 lead. It's his second multi-home run game in the past three games.
- Brito ran into some trouble in the eighth, letting up a double to Chapman and an RBI single to Merrifield that put the Blue Jays on the board as they trailed, 7-1. Brito was pulled after allowing a single to load the bases with one out, as he was replaced by Ian Hamilton. Brito allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits with two strikeouts over 5.1 strong innings. A run scored to make it 7-2 on Springer's hard grounder to short, as he beat the throw to first. Bo Bichette cut the lead on an RBI single to right field and then Guerrero roped a double to left, making it a 7-4 game all of a sudden. Michael King came in for relief and escaped the jam with a groundout. King tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his third save of the year.
Highlights
What's next
The Yankees continue their four-game series with the Blue Jays on Tuesday night at 7:07 p.m.
Domingo German will take the mound for New York, while Kevin Gausman will get the start for Toronto.
