The Yankees were anything but (Ye)Savages in the Box in Toronto

 

The New York Yankees got completely embarrassed north of the boarder in the American League Divisional Series. No other way around it. Going into the series there was a list of three guys on the Blue Jays roster I believed the Yankees couldn’t let beat them if the Bombers wanted to win the series. That list was: Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Alejandro Kirk, and George Springer. Through two games all three have made the Bombers pay in some way. The number one guy on that list, Guerrero Jr, is 6-9 with two home runs(the first grand slam in Blue Jays postseason history), and six RBIs.  In two games the Yankees have been outscored 23-8. Unacceptable.

Just like Cam Schlittler last Thursday night in the Bronx, nobody could have imagined the outing Trey Yesavage had in just his 4th Major League start. Five and third not-hit innings with 11 strike outs (a Blue Jays postseason record) making the best offense in baseball look like an overmatched middle school team. He poured in strikes and made the Yankee hitters look like they were facing prime Nolan Ryan. “That was nasty stuff…we just didn’t have an answer” Aaron Boone proclaimed postgame. They didn’t just have an answer, they looked like they didn’t have a clue at where to start to figure it out.

 “I didn’t get it done and it’s frustrating” said Max Fried of his outing in Game 2. Fried, the Yankees ace and stopper for much of the season, didn’t have it giving up seven runs on eight hits, walking two, and only striking out one Blue Jay hitter. 11 of Fried’s 19 wins came following a Yankee loss, he was the right guy in the right spot, Toronto just had the answer.

Once Yesavage exited the game, the Yankees bat finally came alive. Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice, and Giancarlo Stanton who all looked lost at the dish through a game and two at-bats in Game 2, had great at-bats and got results to help the Bombers attempt to make the biggest comeback in postseason history. Perhaps that’s the only silver lining Yankee faithful can take away from this game.

If Sunday was the last time the Yankees play at Rogers Centre, they will have gone 1-7 in the Blue Jays house in 2025. The Yankees don’t have an answer for why the ballclub is having such an issue playing in a divisional opponent’s building. It’s not like this team hasn’t played in that ballpark that much, they play at least five games there every year!

However, the series isn’t over just yet. 10 teams have comeback from down 0-2 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs in the current format. The last team to do it was the Baby Bombers of 2017 against Cleveland. The 2025 Yankees are 4-2 against this Toronto team in the Bronx. Something switches when the Blue Jays travel to the Bronx that doesn’t click up north. The Bombers seem to agree.

“Baseballs a funny game…obviously feels like the world is caving in around ya, you know you lose two games like that in their building where it doesn’t go right. But all of a sudden you go out there and win a ballgame on Tuesday the needle can change” said Aaron Boone about the road ahead for his club. Aaron Judge had these remarks to say about the hole the Yankees are in in this series “we’ve been playing with our backs against the wall all year long so it’s nothing new to us.” This 2025 club will need some of that magic from 2017. Every run to a World Series title has a little magic along the way. You need it to win. Carlos Rodon will be tasked at keeping the season alive and maybe just maybe that’s where the run to championship number 28 will start on Tuesday night.