Monday, May 30, 2016

Estrada Leads Jays to Memorial Day Win Over Yanks, 4-2

      First off, Happy Memorial Day and thank you to all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be free. Tonight, the Yankees and Blue Jays squared off in game one of three in Toronto. The 2-2 Marco Estrada took the mound for the Blue Jays, keeping Yankee hitters off-balance all night long with his A+ change up. Ivan Nova and his 3.55 ERA took the ball against the 26-26 Blue Jays. Although he has done a good job since joining the rotation, Nova was pitching against one of the best lineups from top to bottom that he will face all season, and they got to him early and often.
     Nova found himself in hot water pretty much from the word go. With one out in the bottom of the first, Josh Donaldson lined a single and scored when the cleanup hitter Edwin Encarnacion ripped a double to left that gave the Jays an early one run lead. Nova needed 27 pitches to get through the first, and found himself in even more trouble in the bottom of the third.  Nova gave up a lead off double to the light-hitting Ryan Goings(10 for his last 92) and followed that up with a walk to Jose Bautista. After Donaldson grounded out to advance both runners up a base, Edwin Encarnacion would bite him for a second time, this time driving in Goings by grounding out to Gregorius, 2-0 Toronto. And then Michael Saunders drove in Jose Bautista when he doubled to center, extending the lead to three. Two innings later, Goings touched up Nova for a solo shot to left, 4-0 Blue Jays. Nova was pulled with one on and no one out in the seventh, departing with a final line of  six innings pitched, allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking one.
     Marco Estrada, on the other hand was again tremendous against the Yanks, tossing eight shut out innings, while allowing just three hits and striking out six. Left- hander Aaron Loup came on in relief to pitch the ninth and immediately made things interesting. After drilling Carlos Beltran in the foot with a slider, Brian McCann hit a towering blast over the wall in center. ricocheting off the façade of the restaurant in centerfield, pulling the Yankees within two, 4-2. Toronto manager John Gibbons lifted Loup for Drew Storen, who shut the door on the Yankee come back hopes by striking out Chase Headley to end the game. One positive note to take away from tonight's loss is that New York got three shut out innings from two relievers not named Betances, Miller or Chapman, making No-Run DMC available for the next two nights.
     Look for the Yankees to bounce back tomorrow night in game two, with first pitch scheduled for 7:07 PM ET.

   

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)