Yankees' six-run seventh inning backs Jameson Taillon in win over Blue Jays
Aaron Judge #99 of the Yankees celebrates a solo home run in the dugout during the sixth inning of their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on May 3, 2022 in Toronto, Canada. Credit: Getty Images/Cole Burston
The Yankees, winners of at least 18 of their first 24 games for just the seventh time in franchise history opened up a 3 ½ game lead on the Blue Jays in the AL East.
TORONTO — Aaron Judge dropped the hammer at last on Alek Manoah.
The rightfielder slugged a game-tying homer off the Toronto righthander in the sixth inning Tuesday night, breathing life into what to that point had been a lifeless Yankees offense.
The Blue Jays morphed into the Orioles an inning later, imploding in the field in what would be a six-run frame that paved the way for the Yankees’ 11th straight win, a 9-1 triumph in front of 22,491 somewhat stunned fans at Rogers Centre.
“Everything’s clicking,” said Giancarlo Stanton, whose two-run homer in the ninth made it 9-1. “We’re getting timely hitting, pitching’s been great. We just have to keep it going.”
The Yankees (18-6), winners of at least 18 of their first 24 games for just the seventh time in franchise history — the last time was 2003 when they started 20-4 — opened up a 3 ½-game lead on the Blue Jays (15-10) in the AL East.
Manoah, a 24-year-old righty, who came into the night 2-0 with a 1.53 ERA in three career starts versus the Yankees, including April 11 this year when he threw six scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory at the Stadium, took a 1-0 lead into the sixth, having retired 14 straight Yankees.
He made it 15 straight when Jose Trevino grounded out and Aaron Hicks snapped the streak with a single. Up came Judge who, after falling behind 0-and-2 and watching Hicks thrown out trying to steal second, teed off on a full-count fastball and sent it into the second deck in left for his ninth homer, the eighth hit in his last 10 games. Judge to that point had been 0-for-10 in his career against Manoah.
“He’s one of the best pitchers in the game right now,” Judge said. “Great two-seam and four-seam fastball, can throw a wipeout slider any time. Honestly, got up there and was sitting on slider, sitting on slider. I was able to kind of [foul off] a couple until I got a good pitch to hit with the fastball.”
Lost in the craziness that would follow in the seventh was more terrific work from righthander Jameson Taillon who, though not quite as dominant as Manoah, nonetheless turned in a strong outing, allowing one run and five hits over six innings. Taillon, now 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA, struck out four and did not walk a batter.
“Might be the best he’s been stuff-wise since he’s been here,” Aaron Boone said.
But his outing was mostly overshadowed by the most bizarre inning of the season — to this point — for the Yankees.
Sidearmer Adam Cimber replaced Manoah, who allowed one run and three hits over six innings in which he walked one and struck out seven, and faced Stanton. The DH grounded to short where Bo Bichette booted the ball, then pulled Vlad Guerrero Jr. off the bag with his throw.
The Blue Jays challenged — it was their last challenge — and the call was upheld. Josh Donaldson’s RBI double made it 2-1. Marwin Gonzalez, who hadn’t played in three games but got the start in left, doubled to score Donaldson for a 3-1 lead. In came Julian Merryweather to face Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who reached on an infield single, which moved Donaldson to third.
The strange inning reached its apex when Jose Trevino grounded to Guerrero, who fired home to catcher Alejandro Kirk in attempt to get Gonzalez.
A poorly executed rundown ensued.
Gonzalez twisted away from Guerrero near the plate and was called safe by umpire Ron Kulpa to make it 4-1, setting off an argument by the Blue Jays first baseman and manager Charlie Montoyo, who was out of challenges.
Replays showed Guerrero tagged Gonzalez, who also strayed out of the base line.
Hicks followed with an RBI single and Judge roped a two-run double to further open things up at 7-1. “To be honest, I don’t know how I got out of it,” Gonzalez said. “But I was just trying to stay in the rundown while Trevino got to second so we could keep the inning going with a runner in scoring position. I was trying to sacrifice for that, but everything went better than that and I was able to score.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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