Guerrero Jr. has 2 RBIs as Blue Jays win 5-4, Yankees lose first series this season
Tue, Apr 16, 2024
MLB News (AP)
TORONTO (AP) - Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached base four times and had two RBIs, Yusei Kikuchi won for the first time this season and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Yankees 5-4 on Tuesday night, handing New York its third consecutive loss.
Bo Bichette hit an RBI single and Justin Turner added a sacrifice fly as the Blue Jays became the first opponent to win a series against the Yankees this year. New York had won its first five series for the third time in franchise history, matching its starts of 1926 and 2010.
Guerrero went 2 for 3 with two walks and two singles.
Blue Jays left fielder Davis Schneider made a diving catch on Anthony Rizzo's fly ball for the final out of the New York sixth inning, stranding a runner at first. Rizzo was denied again when Daulton Varsho made a diving catch on his sinking liner to left opening the ninth.
Kikuchi (1-1) allowed one run and three hits in six innings with one walk and nine strikeouts, which matched his season high
Entering Tuesday, the Blue Jays hadn't scored a run while Kikuchi was on the mound during his three prior starts this season.
Trevor Richards gave up two runs in the seventh and Yimi Garcia worked a 1-2-3 eighth. Jordan Romano gave up a run in the ninth but finished for the save in his season debut, getting Oswaldo Cabrera to ground out with the tying run at third. Romano had been sidelined since spring training because of a sore elbow.
New York left-hander Carlos Rodon (1-1) allowed three runs, five hits and four walks in four innings, throwing 62 of 101 pitches for strikes.
The Yankees, who went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position, opened the scoring on Jose Trevino's two-out RBI single in the second. Turner's sacrifice fly tied it in the third, and Guerrero made it 3-1 with a two-out hit in the fourth.
Toronto's Ernie Clement scored from third when Gleyber Torres couldn't handle a throw to second base on Isiah Kiner-Falefa's stolen base in the sixth. Bichette drove in Kiner-Falefa with a two-out hit.
Yankees leadoff hitter Anthony Volpe went 0 for 4 and matched a career-high with four strikeouts. Volpe came in with a pair of two-strikeout games this season but hadn't fanned three or more times in a game. He also struck out four times last July 17 in a 10-inning loss to the Angels.
SCORING CHANGE
Rodon had a 1.72 ERA on Monday but it jumped to 2.87 before he took the mound Tuesday, the result of a scoring change from his April 9 start against Miami. What had been a seventh-inning error on Anthony Rizzo became a single for Jazz Chisholm Jr., and later runs scored by Chisholm and Josh Bell went from unearned to earned. Rodon's ERA is now 3.66.
ROSTER MOVES
Yankees: LHP Josh Maciejewski was assigned outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Blue Jays: RHP Erik Swanson (forearm) also was activated off the 15-day injured list. RHP Nate Pearson was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo and RHP Mitch White was designated for assignment.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: INF DJ LeMahieu (fractured right foot) is expected to begin a rehab assignment later this week. Manager Aaron Boone said LeMahieu would likely start at Double-A Somerset. ... Boone said RHP Gerrit Cole (elbow inflammation) threw from 75 feet.
UP NEXT
RHP Marcus Stroman (1-1, 2.12 ERA) faces his former team in Wednesday afternoon's series finale. RHP Kevin Gausman (0-2, 11.57) is scheduled for the Blue Jays.
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