Game 1 Of the Series Pits New York Yankees Against Toronto Blue Jays

Game 1 of the series between the Yankees and the Blue Jays began tonight in Toronto. This three-game series is huge for both teams, as control of the American League East Division is at stake. Game 1 started this battle, and the Yankees lost 4-1. When division opponents meet up, each game counts twice, because if one team wins, the other team loses. Game 1 was very important.  Did you think the Yankees would win Game 1 in Toronto?

Rodon Pitches In Game 1 For Yanks Against Jays

The Blue Jays had Ernie Clement as the third baseman, batting leadoff. He moved to second base in the ninth inning. George Springer was the designated hitter, batting second. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was the first baseman, batting third. Bo Bichette was the shortstop, batting fourth. Alejandro Kirk was the catcher and batted fifth.

Davis Schneider was the left fielder and batted sixth. Addison Barger pinch hit for him in the seventh inning. He stayed in to play right field and later moved to third base. Myles Straw played center field and batted seventh. Leo Jiménez was the second baseman and batted eighth. Nathan Lukes pinch-hit for him and stayed in to play second base. Joey Loperfido was the right fielder and batted ninth. He moved to left field.

For the Yankees, Trent Grisham batted first and was the center fielder. Aaron  Judge was the right fielder and batted second. Jazz ChisHolm Jr. was the second baseman who batted third. Giancarlo Stanton batted fourth and was the designated hitter. Jasson Dominguez was the left fielder, batting fifth. Paul Goldschmidt was the first baseman, batting sixth. Austin Wells was the catcher and batted seventh. Anthony Volpe was the shortstop, batting eighth. Ben Rice pinch hit for him in the ninth inning. Oswald Peraza was the third baseman and batted ninth.

News and Notes

The Yankees announced an update about Old-Timers Day. They said a traditional alumni baseball game will once again be part of the festivities when the Yankees host the 77th Old-Timers’ Day on Aug. 9 at Yankee Stadium. The event will also commemorate the 25th anniversary of the club’s 2000 World Series championship.

There was a rumor that it would be a softball game instead of a baseball game. It was a good thing that the Yankees won a run-of-the-mill game yesterday, 4-2. They did not make any significant mistakes, for the first time in about a month. They played a clean game.

Game Reaction

Game 1 started as a pitcher’s battle. Things moved right along. However, game 1 could be a problem for the Yankees as they exhausted their bullpen in the three games in Atlanta. That is why they needed Carlos Rodon to eat up innings.

The Blue Jays foul off pitches and take them. They make a pitcher work. They also have the highest batting average as a team in Major League Baseball. That was bad news for Rodon and the Yankees. Rodon walked 2 and left the bases loaded in the second inning. When Rodon was finished with the second inning, he had 34 pitches.

Judge was intentionally walked by the Blue Jays in the third inning. That was the 26th time this year he had been intentionally walked. It was the sixth time (in five games) the Blue Jays have intentionally walked him. Until the people batting behind him start hitting (Chisolm Jr. struck out), the strategy will continue to be employed. A pitcher can not walk five batters and hope not to allow any runs. The walks came back to haunt Rodon in the fifth inning.

Scoring Summary

In the fourth inning, Stanton hit a solo home run. The Yankees led 1-0. In the fifth inning, Bichette hit a two-run double, and Springer and Guerrero Jr. scored. It was 2-1, Blue Jays. Later in the inning, Peraza made an error and Bichette scored. The Blue Jays had a 3-1 lead. Then, on a Volpe error, Straw scored. It was 4-1, Blue Jays. Rodon got the third out of a long inning twice. The horrid defense made Rodon throw 40 pitches, and he was out of the game. This is getting old. Fast.

Final Thoughts

Game 1 proved the Blue Jays are a good team. They make the pitcher work and do not strike out. They foul off tough pitches and run the bases hard. So, they do the little things that are required for a playoff team to be successful. If a team makes mistakes against them, like the two fielding errors the Yankees made in the fifth inning tonight, they take advantage.