Catch the Yankees at the right moment during this unpredictable season and you glimpse the building blocks of an October juggernaut, one engineered to slug, pitch and field with excellence. Wednesday was not one of those nights.
The Yankees turned in one of their sloppiest performances of the 60-game sprint, committing four errors and enduring a nightmarish eight-run inning as they absorbed a 14-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, N.Y.
As the Yankees (32-24) continue to balance setting their postseason roster against the allure of chasing the fourth playoff seed, they have officially ceded the American League East to the Rays (37-20), who defeated the Mets at Citi Field.
Making his final tune-up before the playoffs, right-hander Masahiro Tanaka was knocked for five runs (three earned) and eight hits over four innings. Tanaka, who will follow right-hander Gerrit Cole in the postseason rotation, concluded the regular season with a 3-3 record and 3.56 ERA in 10 starts.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].