TORONTO — ESPN analyst Buster Olney’s warning became reality Saturday night. The New York Yankees opened the American League Division Series with a 10-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Olney had cautioned before the Wild Card finale with Boston that the Yankees and Red Sox would burn through pitching and arrive at the ALDS drained. He said the Blue Jays, who secured a first-round bye, would enter rested and ready. The result proved exactly that.
Depleted pitching staff shows its cracks
Manager Aaron Boone leaned heavily on his bullpen to survive the Wild Card series. He used six relievers in the Game 1 loss to Boston, then four more in the Game 2 win. Rookie Cam Schlittler started the deciding Game 3, forcing Boone to cobble together innings from whoever remained.
By the time the Yankees reached Toronto, they had little left in reserve. The Blue Jays, winners of the AL East after taking the season series from New York, looked fresh and fully stocked.
“This game’s over with,” Aaron Judge said. “It got out of hand. We couldn’t come back. But we’ve got a big game [Sunday] and just [have to] take care of business.”
Toronto’s Kevin Gausman retired hitters with ease, firing five shutout innings on only 50 pitches. Across the field, Luis Gil lasted just 2 2/3 innings before being lifted.
Early deficit becomes insurmountable
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. immediately attacked Gil, launching a two-out home run in the first inning. Alejandro Kirk followed with a leadoff homer in the second. Toronto led 2-0 before the Yankees could settle in.
Gil’s night ended after just 48 pitches when he allowed a single in the third. He gave up two runs on four hits, taking the loss in a game that unraveled quickly.
The Yankees have struggled all year at Rogers Centre, where they fell to 1-7 this season.
Bases loaded opportunity squandered
The Yankees’ lone breakthrough chance came in the sixth. Anthony Volpe doubled off the wall in left, Austin Wells singled, and Trent Grisham walked, loading the bases with no outs for Judge.
The reigning MVP candidate battled Gausman for eight tense pitches. He worked a full count, fouled off offerings, then chased a splitter in the dirt for strike three.
“In that moment, to be honest, I’m fine walking him,” Gausman said. “He can blow that game right open with one swing. So kind of knowing that, the whole at-bat I was trying to go down and away with the split, left a couple kind of too good. But that was a good pitch.”
Cody Bellinger drew a walk to cut the lead to 2-1. But Ben Rice popped out, and Giancarlo Stanton struck out on a 101-mph fastball from reliever Louis Varland to end the rally.
“That kind of seemed like the game, right?” Bellinger said.
Bullpen collapse seals Yankees’ fate
Luke Weaver’s postseason woes deepened in the seventh inning. He walked the leadoff man, surrendered back-to-back singles, and departed without recording an out.
Weaver has now faced six batters this postseason. He has retired none, charged with five runs on four hits and two walks.
“Baseball seems to be overwhelming a bit at the moment when the results aren’t on your side,” Weaver said. “But I don’t walk away from these outings trying to be too hard on myself because, ultimately, I feel like I’m really close.”
Reliever Fernando Cruz inherited two runners, both of whom scored on a double by Nathan Lukes. Guerrero added a sacrifice fly. Kirk then sealed the game with his second homer of the night, extending Toronto’s lead to 9-1.
Paul Blackburn gave up three more runs in the eighth as the sellout crowd of 44,655 roared.
Yankees face familiar demons
The defeat resembled New York’s struggles in the Wild Card opener against Boston. Again, the Yankees fell behind early, wasted runners in scoring position, and saw their pitching unravel.
This time, however, the opponent was Toronto, a team that owned New York in the regular season. Both clubs finished 94-68, but Toronto’s head-to-head tiebreaker delivered the AL East crown and home-field edge.
Now the Yankees must recover from another 0-1 hole. Boone will hand the ball to Max Fried in Game 2 on Sunday. Toronto will counter with rookie Trey Ysevage, making just his fourth career start.
“It obviously sucks, but we’ve got an opportunity [Sunday] to go back home with the series tied,” Volpe said.
The Yankees managed to claw back from an 0-1 deficit against Boston, but the effort cost them dearly. Their thin staff and poor history in Toronto leave them vulnerable again.
Judge collected two hits in four at-bats, raising his postseason average to .400 over four games. But he remains without a home run and has only one RBI.
“Took some tough pitches, but in the end, I didn’t get the job done,” Judge said. “That’s what it comes down to — just not doing your job.”
Olney’s prediction hangs over the series. The Yankees must prove they can defy it.
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