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TORONTO – The Yankees took another step into the playoffs on Thursday night, and the midpoint of their lineup showed once again how dangerous it can be.
They hit four home runs against AL Cy Young contender Robbie Ray in a 6-2 win over the Blue Jays, as they slashed their magic number to clinch a wildcard spot to two, thanks to the Boston’s loss to the Orioles, who also lost the Red Sox tied with Seattle.
The victory was sparked by Aaron Judge, who scored twice and was part of a sixth inning blowout against southpaw Ray.
Starting the sixth down with a point, the Yankees got a solo shot from Anthony Rizzo to tie the game, 2-2.
The judge followed with his second laser home run down the center, this one measuring 441 feet, to bring the score to 3-2.
Toronto let Ray stay in the game and he made Giancarlo Stanton walk before Gleyber Torres continued his resurgence with a two-run homerun to extend the lead. It was only the Yankees’ fourth hit against Ray – all home runs.
So the Yankees return to the Bronx on Friday with a chance to seal their place in the playoffs, with a little help. The victory was not without a price, however, as DJ LeMahieu, who started the sixth with a comebacker, was taken out of play before the end of the round with pain in his right hip – an injury that left him. bothered for weeks.
Judge, who came in with 20 RBIs in his previous 18 games, opened the scoring with a 455-foot blast at a standstill. It was his longest homerun of the season, according to Statcast.
And Judge saved a point as he was in right field late in the second to keep the game tied.
Bo Bichette, who has plagued the Yankees every playoff, started off with a center single. He stole second place then scored on a Corey Dickerson brace on the right.
After Alejandro Kirk landed on the ground, Santiago Espinal hit a shallow right softball that nearly fell for a single RBI.
But Judge, playing with a dislocated left little finger – and having broken a rib on a similar play in 2019 – dove headfirst to grab the third out and keep it 1-1.
After a walk to Gary Sanchez to lead the second, Ray gave up the next 13 in a row before Rizzo took him deep into the sixth and collapsed.
The Yankees had enough shots, Corey Kluber allowing two runs in 4 ² / ₃ of innings.
In the fifth, George Springer hit an understudy that Gio Urshela couldn’t handle short, which was a hit. Marcus Semien called with a short Grounder that the Yankees nearly turned for a late-inning double play. First baseman Bill Miller canceled Semien at first, but Toronto disputed the appeal and the replay showed he was clearly safe.
The call extended the inning and the Blue Jays immediately took advantage, as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. called with a brace from the top of the fence in the center, inches from a two-run homer, to give Toronto his first advance.
Kluber was replaced by Michael King to face Bichette. After a walk in Bichette, Teoscar Hernandez failed.
King started the bullpen well again and the Yankees offense woke up in the sixth, as Rizzo and Judge hit Ray back to back to get the Yankees off to a point. Rizzo, who flew to the right on a 3-0 pitch in his previous batting game, pierced a 3-1 pitch to the right to make it 2-2 before the judge put them forward.
After King threw a 1 ¹ / ₃ shutout, Luis Severino had a scoreless seventh goal and Chad Green threw around a brace for Bichette in the eighth.
Brett Gardner’s homer in the ninth gave the Yankees a 6-2 lead and Aroldis Chapman finished it late in the inning.
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