Five-run seventh inning dooms Yankees in 12-5 loss to Blue Jays

The Yankees fell to the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 12-5 on Tuesday afternoon, and have now dropped three of their last four games and have just six wins in their last 18 games.

New York fell to 48-37 on the year. Toronto improved to 47-38 with back-to-back wins to start the four-game series.

Here are the key takeaways….

-A pivotal moment came in the bottom of the seventh, as Luke Weaver appeared to strike out pinch-hitter Addison Barger looking on a check swing in a 4-4 game. However, the Blue Jays challenged that J.C. Escarra committed catcher's interference, and that turned out to be the case, loading the bases with one out. Next up, Ernie Clement atoned for an earlier error by bouncing a single just off of Anthony Volpe's glove, giving Toronto a 5-4 lead.

Next up, George Springer launched a grand slam to left-center, and his second homer of the game blew things wide open at 9-4. While two of the runs were charged to Mark Leiter Jr., Weaver came into the game with the score tied and exited with the Yankees trailing by five runs.

Springer would come through with another big hit, a two-run single in the eighth, as the game turned into a laugher.

–MaxFriedhas been the stopper for the Yankees all season, coming into the game with a 0.93 ERA in 10 starts following a Yankees loss this season. He lived up to that billing early, retiring eight straight hitters after a Springer first-inning walk.

The first hit — and run — allowed by Fried came on a Springer home run in the bottom of the fourth, and that turned out to be the start of a disastrous inning for Fried, who later allowed a three-run homer to Andres Gimenez, just over the wall in center field.

Fried went 6.0 innings, and while he only allowed three hits, two of them were homers, as he allowed four earned runs while striking out two and walking two.

-The Yankees took advantage of an early opportunity against Kevin Gausman. After the right-hander loaded the bases by allowing a single and a pair of walks, Jasson Dominguez delivered with a single up the middle, scoring a pair of runs and giving the Yankees an early 2-0 lead. Dominguez added an RBI groundout in the top of the ninth to finish 1-for-5 with three RBI.

-The Bombers had a chance to add on in the fourth, as a Paul Goldschmidt double (his second hit of the afternoon) put runners at second and third with two outs. This time, though, Gausman was able to get out of the jam, as Cody Bellinger flew out to deep right-center to end the threat.

Again, in the fifth, the Yankees had traffic on the bases, but couldn't find a way to push any runs across. Gausman's afternoon ended there, as he turned in 5.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

-Finally, the Yanks delivered with runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh, with some help from the Jays. With runners on corners and one out, Giancarlo Stanton hit a chopper to third that ate upClement, and the error allowed the Yanks' third run to score on what should have been an inning-ending double play. Next up, Dominguez chopped a ball to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first, who was poised to throw home, but the ball bounced out of his glove, allowing the tying run, at that time, to score.

–Aaron Judge finished the day 2-for-2 with a double, three walks, and two runs scored. He raised his slash line to .358/.466/.722 for a 1.188 OPS.

-As a team, the Yankees went just 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base. Toronto, on the other hand, went 5-for-7.

Game MVP

Springer, who finished with a pair of home runs and seven RBI.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

The Yankees and Jays continue their four-game set on Wednesday at 7:07 p.m.

Will Warren is scheduled to face Jose Berrios.

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