Yankees 5-1 Blue Jays: ​Schmidt shines, Escarra homers as NY takes series

New York Yankees 5-1 Toronto Blue Jays

The Yankees completed a dominant Sunday, sweeping their doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 5-1 victory in the second game, securing the series win. Following an explosive 11-2 triumph earlier in the day, the Bronx Bombers relied on timely homers from Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, and rookie J.C. Escarra to claim the evening matchup.

Yankees sweep doubleheader against Blue Jays

Facing Chris Bassitt presented a significant challenge for New York. Bassitt had historically dominated the Yankees, entering the game with a remarkable career ERA of just 0.82—the lowest ever by a pitcher with at least five starts against the franchise. Additionally, Bassitt had been outstanding this season, holding opponents without a home run through his initial 28.2 innings.

However, Bassitt’s impressive streak quickly came to an end, courtesy of Trent Grisham, who wasted no time by hitting his second leadoff home run of the season in just his second game back from paternity leave. Grisham’s seventh home run of the year highlighted his stellar start, batting .298 with a 1.069 OPS in a reserve role, clearly making a strong case for more regular playing time under manager Aaron Boone.

Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt rebounded impressively from a rough second outing. Making just his third start since returning from the injured list, Schmidt allowed just one run on one hit—a solo home run to Anthony Santander—in five innings of work. Although control remained somewhat elusive with four walks, Schmidt struck out six Blue Jays hitters, demonstrating encouraging signs of regaining his form. He threw a total of 90 pitches, 52 for strikes, leaving the mound with the game tied at 1-1.

The Yankees seized control in the sixth inning, breaking through against Bassitt. Aaron Judge started the surge, connecting on his eighth home run of the season, a solo shot that put New York ahead 2-1. Judge’s blast provided a crucial spark in a tightly contested pitchers’ duel and marked his lone hit as the designated hitter in the game.

With two outs and a runner on second, Bassitt had an opportunity to limit the damage but surrendered an RBI double to Jasson Dominguez, ending his outing. Dominguez finished the game 2-for-4, boosting his average to .238 this season. Backup catcher J.C. Escarra added another run with an RBI single off reliever Brendon Little, extending the Yankees’ lead to 4-1.

Escarra wasn’t finished, delivering a memorable moment in the eighth inning with his first career MLB home run—a definitive no-doubter—to finalize the 5-1 score. The rookie catcher ended his night with two hits in four at-bats, showing positive strides at the plate.

New York’s bullpen locked down the game with an exceptional collective effort. Tim Hill, Mark Leiter Jr., Fernando Cruz, and Luke Weaver combined for four shutout innings, permitting just two hits. Leiter Jr. impressed by striking out all three batters he faced, and Weaver maintained his flawless season record, extending his scoreless streak to 14 innings.

Anthony Volpe followed up his Game 1 homer with two additional hits in Game 2, concluding a productive four-hit day at the plate for the shortstop. On the flip side, Cody Bellinger continued to struggle, going 0-for-4 to see his batting average drop to .191, paired with a disappointing .570 OPS in his first season in pinstripes.

Pitching stood out as the defining factor for the Yankees’ second victory of the day. While the offense provided crucial power, the staff’s collective ability to limit Toronto to a single run on only three hits was pivotal.

Roster

Up next

The Yankees embark on a brief road trip to face the Baltimore Orioles in a three-game series, beginning Monday at 6:35 p.m. Right-hander Will Warren (1-0, 4.79 ERA) will take the mound for New York, with Baltimore yet to announce their starter.