Prior to the game, the Blue Jays optioned left-handed relief pitcher Chad Girodo to triple-A Buffalo, making room for Grilli on the 25-man roster.
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The better news is the clubs will meet another 10 times in 2016. The Blue Jays have won the first two games.
With the loss, the Yankees were swept in series of three-or-more games at Toronto for the first time since September 19-21, 2000. Their batting average (.233) and on-base percentage (.302) are both their worst at this point in the season since 1969, while they’ve scored their fewest runs (192) at the 50-game marker since 1990. Right-hander Kirby Yates pitched the eighth for NY. Justin Smoak homered for the Blue Jays.
All told, the Jays have won seven of their past eight and 10 of 13. Starlin Castro hit a solo home run, which was the only run of the game for the Yankees. Grilli was charged with an error when he tried to pick off Ronald Torreyes at second and threw the ball into centre field.
Kevin Pillar has a pretty good idea that when he gets a ball in his sights, he is going to catch it, no matter how hard it might seem to those in the stands or watching on television.
Next into the game was Dellin Betances, who just didn’t have it on Tuesday. His father, Steve Grilli, made one appearance for the Jays in 1979, and the two joined John Mayberry and John Mayberry Jr., as the only father/son duos to play for the club in its history. With two runners on base Joe Girardi went to young reliever Nick Goody in hopes of getting out of the jam. Instead he was rudely greeted by a line drive RBI double off the bat of Saunders – his second double of the night – and a two RBI single by Smoak.
Aaron Loup pitched the eighth, while Ryan Tepera finished up the ninth. He doubled on the first pitch of Tuesday’s game, hit a three-run homer off Patrick Corbin (2-5) in the second inning and added a run-scoring single off the left-hander in the fourth. Darwin Barney (three hits) led off with a single and went to second on Jose Bautista’s groundout to third.
Donaldson then singled to right, scoring Barney, but was tagged out when he was caught between first and second after the Yankees cut off the throw.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Michael Saunders scored on a double play ball hit by Russell Martin to make it 2-0. It was enough to bring in Saunders, who had doubled to lead off.
Tanaka, 3-1, went six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits.
“I haven’t really doing my part offensively, what I feel like I am capable of doing”, Pillar said. “I look at them from the beginning of the season. I don’t think everybody does, but I do”. Yankees’ Mark Teixeira grounded into fielder’s choice and was safe at first on the play. Brian McCann stranded two in the fifth and Brett Gardner and Carlos Beltran left two on in the seventh.
How often do the Yankees get swept?
New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez watches from the dugout during the third inning of the team’ …
The game marked the last Sun baseball columnist Bob Elliott covered before heading into retirement.
After the top of the second inning, the Jays honoured Elliott with a tribute on the video scoreboard in recognition of his decades of work.
Toronto, which has won four straight series, has an off-day Thursday before beginning a road trip in Boston on Friday night.
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The under cashed in that game and has gone 9-3 in the past 12 meetings.
