Josh Donaldson struck out twice and hit into a double play.
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Sanchez implemented the changeup, briefly, the second time through the Yankees’ lineup.
McCann, who hit a home run in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, was hit with a foul ball while catching sometime in the mid innings of the victory over last season’s Yankees nemesis.
WHITE SOX 3, TWINS 0: Carlos Rodon worked his way out of trouble several times to complete six scoreless innings, Jerry Sands hit a two-run home run and Chicago kept host Minnesota winless. Ellsbury was 2 for 5 with a stolen base.
Toronto stranded two first-inning walks and had a chance to tack on more during a two-run third inning that was snuffed out by a double play ground ball.
“I’ve seen him start slow”. He had thrown more than 70 pitches by the end of the third inning and was finished after five. “He’s going to be fine … but he’s off right now, there’s no secret about that”.
Nathan Denette/AP J.A. Happ becomes the latest lefty to silence the Yankees, allowing just one run over six innings and striking out four. The visiting Yankees, however, would be presenting a more hard challenge than the Rays did and pressing on one of Sanchez’s weaknesses to date.
2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. He allowed three runs – two earned – on five hits, three walks and six strikeouts. He issued walks to both Brian McCann and Chase Headley, and allowed the runners to move up with an errant pickoff throw into center field. This is especially true with the relief crew essentially down one pitcher in Aroldis Chapman, forcing the Yankees to utilize Chasen Shreve, Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller a bit more often than they might hope. Sanchez threw 97 pitches, but only 54 for strikes, ultimately walking three.
“I thought he pitched very well against us”, Teixeira said.
The numbers from Sanchez’s first full big league season, 2015, are stark: Left-handers slashed.282/.390/.488 (.878 OPS) against him; right-handers hardly touched Sanchez to the tune of.163/.242/.194 (.436 OPS). “In the second inning I let some things affect me that I shouldn’t have and it cost us a run”.
“You play these teams in your division and you need to beat them”, manager John Gibbons said. You can’t expect to get calls, either. “It’s not yet where I want it to be, but it’s getting there”.
Toronto’s hitters were heading into their own personal buzzsaw.
Masahiro Tanaka, who made it through 5 2/3 innings in his season-opening start April 5 against the Astros, lasted only five innings against the Blue Jays. But once the Yankees tied the game, the Blue Jays went right back to work against the big righty. Donaldson increased the pressure by stealing second, but Betances struck Bautista out looking with a devastating knuckle curve.
NY (4-3) scored its second-fewest runs in the early season with McCann nursing his ailing left digit, losing 7-2 on Wednesday.
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The Yankees begin the series with a 3-2 record which has been highlighted by some struggling starting pitching, offset by impressive offensive production throughout the lineup.
