A career night for George Springer led the Toronto Blue Jays to pound the New York Yankees 9-2 in an all around offensive night for the squad.
Springer for the first time in his career collected six RBIs, hitting a three-run home run in the first inning, then doing the same exact same thing one inning later.
In his last three games, Springer has now left the yard three times and collected six hits during that span, as the outfielder is doing what Toronto intended him to do when signing him to a 5-year deal, lead the team’s lineup and push for a postseason spot.
Toronto reached base five straight times in said first inning, and all runners eventually scored. Bo Bichette moved to the leadoff spot once again and hit a single to start the night for Toronto.
Bichette tenure in Toronto hinges on the next several weeks based upon the Blue Jays performance, but Bichette told Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae he wouldn’t be surprised at all if he was traded at the deadline.
In the world of technology and social media, it’s easy for players to hear rumors and whispers, yet winning can always put a player’s mind at ease.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa was hit by Yankees SP Carlos Rodón during the next plate appearance before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit yet another RBI double, scoring Bichette and making it 1-0 Toronto. Kiner-Falefa also set a new record like Springer in a not-so-good way, being hit three times in a single game.
Everything was going well so far for the Jays and that was evident when Justin Turner hit a ball softly down the first-base line that Ben Rice was trying to catch in fair play to record an easy out, but, the ball hit the 1st base bag and away from Rice, going into fair territory, which allowed Turner to reach base and score Guerrero Jr., as the score went to 2-0 Toronto.
Springer’s home run made it then 5-0 Toronto in the first inning and his second home run in the next inning made it 8-0 Jays.
Rodón was charged with all eight runs on 10 hits, yet surprisingly enough, the LHP also struck out eight batters over 5.0 innings.
Rodón has allowed 15 earned runs in just his last two starts over 8.2 innings, raising his ERA from 3.28 to 4.42 during that time.
Not only has Rodón struggled, the Yankees themselves coming into the series have dropped three straight games and are 3-10 in their last 13 games after tonight’s loss.
Guerrero Jr. flexed his muscles in the sixth inning, hitting a solo home run to put the final nail in the coffin for the New York Yankees. Guerrero Jr. has collected two hits in four straight games (not counting the rain out against the Boston Red Sox yesterday), including five extra-base hits.
The Yankees for themselves scored two runs off Blue Jays SP José Berríos via Trent Grishams two-run homer in the fifth, even then, Berríos only allowed two hits across 7.0 innings, shutting down the second-best team in MLB for runs this season (412 runs).
Overall, Toronto had 11 hits in the game between eight batters and hit three home runs.
Toronto has now won three of their last four games against the New York Yankees while scoring at least five runs in four straight games between this week and last week.
Yusei Kikuchi, Toronto’s LHP, is looking to end his horrid stretch in the second game of the series tomorrow. Kikuchi has given up nine earned runs in 6.0 innings over his last two starts and has a high 1.33 WHIP, 64th among qualified SPs in the MLB for the category.
