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Eyeing a three-game sweep on Thursday night in the Bronx, the Blue Jays were instead reduced to pushovers against Cy Young favourite Gerrit Cole in a 5-3 setback to the New York Yankees.
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The Blue Jays didn’t scuttle their post-season aspirations with the loss, but at the same time they didn’t bolster their chances. They still hold down the second wild-card slot in the American League, but now sit just a half-game ahead of the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. They also have the same 85-68 record as the Houston Astros, currently in first place in the wild AL West. All three of those teams were idle on Thursday.
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With nine games left, the push for the playoffs only intensifies for the Jays, who conclude the road portion of their regular season with a three-game series beginning Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Toronto had no answer for Cole, the veteran righty who was staked to an early lead on a Jake Bauers three-run home run off starter Jose Berrios, and never looked back as the Yankees turned back a Jays team that had won five in a row.
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Cole went eight innings, allowing only two hits — doubles by Alejandro Kirk and Matt Chapman — and one run when Chapman scampered home from third on a wild pitch in the eighth. He struck out nine in lowering his ERA to 2.75.
The Jays did make it interesting after Cole left the game, scoring two runs off Clay Holmes in the ninth before the right-handed reliever got Spencer Horwitz to ground out with the potential tying run on first.
Outscored 13-2 in the series’ first two games, the Yankees surpassed their meagre offensive output in their first at-bats on Thursday.
The set of events began on a soft flare into shallow right off the bat of leadoff hitter DJ LeMahieu. After Berrios struck out Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres singled to right and Bauers’ blast was a no-doubter that landed in the second deck.
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Cole retired the Jays in order through the opening three innings.
Given the way Michael King pitched Wednesday in recording 13 strikeouts and yielding one run in seven complete innings, Cole was hard-pressed in trying to match King. Turns out he did.
Outside of one pitch, Berrios was solid, but the issue was Cole and how much better he pitched.
The Jays managed to get their first runner on base when Kirk stroked a ball into right-centre with one out in the sixth inning for a double.
Berrios was relieved with two outs in the home half of the inning after he gave up a double.
Tim Mayza entered the game and promptly gave up a double as the Yankees scored their fourth run.
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KNEE-D TO KNOW
There was good news regarding Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a pretty durable player who was not in the starting lineup for the second consecutive night at a venue he relishes playing in.
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An MRI revealed no structural damage to Guerrero’s right knee, but he is dealing with inflammation.
While he’s listed as day-to-day, manager John Schneider did tell reporters pre-game that his all-star was available off the bench in the series finale.
Sure enough, Schneider turned to Vladdy as a pinch-hitter with one out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning, representing the tying run.
He grounded into a force-out, however, but it did produce the Jays’ second run.
Vladdy has said the discomfort feels worse when he runs, so was then lifted for a pinch-runner in callup Cam Eden who was making his MLB debut.
MANOAH MUSINGS
According to a report citing sources, Alek Manoah recently received multiple injections in his pitching arm and has been shut down for the season.
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Until Manoah gives his side of the story, which probably won’t happen until spring training 2024, any development must be taken with a grain of salt.
The Jays don’t need another starter with the regular season reduced to the final three series and they certainly don’t need Manoah, who has not thrown a pitch since an Aug. 10 home start against Cleveland.
Realistically, Manoah’s time with the Jays in 2023 was officially over when he was demoted for the second time this season following an Aug. 10 outing in Cleveland.
DIE IS CAST
Hard-luck catcher Danny Jansen is out of a cast following a visit with his surgeon.
He’ll now sport a splint after he fractured the middle finger on his throwing hand in Colorado after taking a foul tip, sidelining him for the balance of the regular season.
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It would be a long shot for Jansen to play in the post-season, assuming the Jays qualify for the wild card.
For now, he can begin the process of promoting mobility in his fingers.
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CY OF RELIEF?
Cole has never copped a Cy Young Award, but he is the leading candidate among a 2023 group that features Kevin Gausman, who pitched six shutout innings in the Jays’ win Wednesday night.
Cole pitched twice against the Jays earlier in the season in a one-month span that began on April 22 and will likely make his fourth and final start against Toronto when the Yankees visit the Rogers Centre next week.
In his two previous starts prior to Thursday, Cole did not yield a run in 11.2 innings, while giving up 11 hits.
Cole has twice placed second in voting for the Cy Young, including 2021 when Toronto’s Robbie Ray was named the AL’s top pitcher.
fzicarelli@postmedia.com
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