The New York Yankees’ season came to a familiar, frustrating end Wednesday night in the Bronx, as their offense disappeared in a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays that sealed a 3-1 American League Division Series defeat.
A night after Aaron Judge’s heroics in Game 3 briefly revived hope, the Yankees’ bats went quiet. New York managed just six hits off eight Toronto relievers, stranding eight runners over the final four innings.
Ryan McMahon’s game-tying solo home run in the third inning and Judge’s RBI single in the ninth provided the only runs for the Yankees, who ended a 94-win season the same way as the previous 16, short of their ultimate goal.
Rookie Cam Schlittler gave the Yankees a fighting chance, allowing two runs through six-plus innings before an error by Jazz Chisholm Jr. extended the seventh. Andrés Giménez’s sharp grounder skipped off Chisholm’s glove, setting up Nathan Lukes’ two-run single off Devin Williams that stretched Toronto’s lead to 4-1.
The Yankees had multiple opportunities to respond. Trent Grisham popped out with two on in the seventh, and Austin Wells flied out with the bases loaded in the eighth. Toronto tacked on another run in the eighth off Camilo Doval, effectively ending the Yankees’ comeback hopes.
After reaching the World Series a year ago, the Yankees were undone by an offense that led the majors in scoring during the regular season but faltered in October and by bad starting pitching.
The Blue Jays now advance to the ALCS, where they will face the Seattle Mariners or Detroit Tigers.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].