The Toronto Blue Jays opened their road series against the New York Yankees with a frustrating 3-1 loss Friday night at Yankee Stadium.
Toronto generated nine hits but struggled to produce runs, leaving nine runners on base. The Yankees made their limited offense count, scoring twice in the second inning and adding another run in the fourth to build a 3-0 advantage.
Rookie Spencer Jones provided the biggest blow of the night for New York, launching a two-run home run in the second inning off Blue Jays reliever Spencer Arrighetti. José Caballero added an RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth to give the Yankees a three-run cushion.
The Blue Jays finally broke through in the fifth. Alejandro Kirk delivered an RBI single to score Toronto’s only run and extend his hitting streak to 10 games. However, Toronto could not find another breakthrough against Yankees starter Cam Schlittler and the New York bullpen
Schlittler worked six innings and allowed just one run, while the Yankees bullpen shut the door over the final three innings. David Bednar finished the game by striking out Brett Bateman for the final out.
The loss snapped Toronto’s momentum following its series victory over Tampa Bay and dropped the Blue Jays to 63-67 on the season.
Blue Jays: 9 hits but only one run
Spencer Jones: Two-run home run in the second inning
Alejandro Kirk: RBI single and a 10-game hitting streak
Toronto’s biggest problem: Leaving nine runners on base
The Blue Jays will look to bounce back in the second game of the series as they continue their crucial road trip.
