Chris Bassitt struck out eight, Bo Bichette hit a two-run homer and the host Toronto Blue Jays defeated the sloppy New York Yankees 8-4 on Wednesday night.
The Yankees committed four errors and other uncredited misplays in the rubber match of a three-game series as the Blue Jays rebuilt their lead over the Yankees in the American League East to four games.
Bassitt (11-4) allowed four runs (three earned), three hits and no walks in 7 1/3 innings.
Aaron Judge hit a two-run home run and Jasson Dominguez and Anthony Volpe hit solo shots for the Yankees.
Dominguez’s liner to right opened the scoring in the second.
Yankees starter Max Fried (11-4) retired his first seven batters before running into trouble. George Springer looped a one-out single to center and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scorched an RBI double into the left-field corner. Alejandro Kirk walked and Addison Barger loaded the bases on an infield hit to third. Ernie Clement lined a single to center to give Toronto a 2-1 lead.
Volpe homered to left center with one out in the fifth.
Toronto scored twice in the home fifth without a hit. Davis Schneider and Springer walked and advanced on a wild pitch. Both scored when Fried fielded Guerrero’s squibber up the third-base line and made an errant throw to catcher J.C. Escarra.
The Yankees tied the game in the sixth. Trent Grisham reached second on Guerrero’s error on a grounder to first. Judge launched a sinker over the wall in right center to move into sixth on the all-time Yankees list with 352 homers.
Toronto regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Clement tripled when right fielder Cody Bellinger lost his fly ball in the twilight. Myles Straw doubled into the left-field corner to chase Fried, who appeared to be having trouble with a blister that forced him out of his previous start on July 12. With Jonathan Loaisiga pitching, Ben Rice’s error on pinch hitter Will Wagner’s grounder to first allowed Straw to score.
Fried gave up six runs (four earned), six hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake were ejected in the seventh after Volpe was called out on strikes.
Toronto added two insurance runs in the seventh when Guerrero singled and Bichette homered against Scott Effross.
–Field Level Media
