George Springer had a big night with three hits, including two three-run homers, while José Berríos pitched well for seven innings as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the struggling New York Yankees 9-2 on Thursday evening.
This loss marked the Yankees’ worst stretch of the season, losing their fourth consecutive game and ninth out of the last eleven, causing them to slip from the top spot in the AL East standings. They are now just ahead of Baltimore by percentage points.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also contributed with a solo home run, his 11th of the season, as Toronto won its second consecutive game after dropping the previous seven.
Berríos, who had struggled against New York last season with three losses in as many starts, turned things around this time. He allowed two runs on two hits, walked three batters, and struck out a season-high eight.
The Yankees had started June strong with five consecutive wins, extending an eight-game winning streak. However, since then, they have struggled with a 7-12 record. In their last three games, they have been outscored 30-11 and 61-26 over the past seven games.
“We clearly need to improve our execution,” remarked manager Aaron Boone. “We have to make better decisions on pitch selection in certain situations, and we need to correct that. I’m confident we can.”
Key hitters Juan Soto and Aaron Judge had a tough night, going a combined 0 for 7 with four strikeouts in the opening game of the four-game series. Judge had earlier been selected as a starter for the All-Star Game on July 16.
Trent Grisham added a two-run homer for the Yankees, who until now had been one of only four teams not to lose four consecutive games this season. Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia are the others.
Springer, who entered the game batting .196 with six home runs, including two in the first two days of the season, continued his recent power surge. He also homered in Tuesday’s victory over Boston.
“I’ve been working hard to contribute and help the team win,” Springer noted. “I’m determined to keep pushing forward.”
