Who Are the Beat Writers for the Blue Jays
TORONTO – Here was an interesting mid-June, Saturday afternoon lineup penned by Aaron Boone, one the Yankees' manager certainly would not employ if this were October.
Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu and Josh Donaldson were all on the bench at Rogers Centre.
Matt Carpenter, who spent most of the season in the minors, was batting leadoff.
Joey Gallo, who hadn't batted in the middle of the order since May 26, was hitting fifth.
Marwin Gonzalez, who had made just seven outfield starts this year, was in right field.
And the opposing starter was Alek Manoah, a burgeoning Yankees killer, who entered the day with a league-best 1.67 ERA over his first dozen starts – including two against the Yanks.
These days, Boone can rest as many regulars as he likes, or draw names out of a helmet – it's all the same.
Saturday's route to victory was paved by a bases-clearing, fourth-inning double by the struggling Aaron Hicks.
"We expect to find a way to win each night,'' starter Jameson Taillon said after the Yankees' ninth straight win, 4-0 against the second place Toronto Blue Jays.
Historic achievement
As customary lately, each Yankees triumph comes with its own historic footnote.
At 49-16, this is the Yanks' second-best 65-game start in franchise history, and the fourth-best 65-game start by any Major League team since 1901.
It also marks just the third time since 1961 that the Yankees have gone 16-1 over a 17-game span.
And by securing the final four outs, Clay Holmes earned a place in franchise history with his 29th straight scoreless relief appearance.
That topped Mariano Rivera's old mark from 1999, and the iconic Yankees' Hall-of-Fame closer sent his congratulations to Holmes through social media.
"That makes it pretty special. He's a guy I grew up watching...it means a lot,'' said Holmes, whose signature sinker and wipeout slider have delivered 31.1 consecutive scoreless innings.
That's the best streak by any Yankees pitcher since Jack Aker (33 innings) in 1969.
Sure, Holmes is aware that he hasn't yielded a run since Opening Day against the Red Sox, but "when I go out on the mound, it's the same focus...try to keep it rolling.''
Holmes has never met Rivera, yet, "I'm looking forward to that day.''
Hicks comes through
Before Hicks' key moment, there was a play that could have ended the fourth inning.
Manoah induced a grounder by Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who hustled and beat out an infield single to load the bases.
Shortstop Bo Bichette made a wide throw, taking first baseman Craig Biggio off the bag, and the play could have been scored an error.
In any event, Hicks followed by lashing just his second double of the year to right field for a 3-0 lead.
"It felt good,'' said Hicks, who had one hit in his last 16 at-bats before the double. "To be able to produce, especially when I've had a lot of hard times with men in scoring position...it felt good to get the hit.''
Prior to that at-bat, Hicks was a paltry 5-for-40 (.125) with runners in scoring position this year and 0-for-4 with the bases loaded.
"We're (winning) in so many different ways, and it continues to ring true,'' said Boone, a day after his club hit four homers in a 12-3 romp Friday night.
Strong pitching
After scoring just one run against Manoah (8-2) in 12 innings this year, the Yankees scored four runs in 5.1 innings Saturday, concluding with doubles by Gleyber Torres and Kiner-Falefa (RBI).
Torres' double was originally ruled a catch by left fielder Raimel Tapia at the wall, but he juggled it against the fence and the Yanks prevailed on a replay review.
Taillon (8-1) tossed 5.2 shutout innings, pitching out of a jam with runners on the corners and one out in the second inning and stranding a leadoff double in the fifth by striking out the side.
Michael King entered in the sixth and struck out Teoscar Hernandez with runners at the corners to end the inning.
Holmes was recognized by his teammates for his new franchise record, receiving the postgame championship wrestling belt as the Blue Jays (37-28) dropped to 12 games behind the Yanks, disappointing a sellout crowd of 45,055 fans.
Comeback trail
At Tampa, Fla., Saturday, lefty Aroldis Chapman (Achilles tendinitis) was expected to pitch against live hitters for the first time Saturday since landing on the injured list in late May.
With the Yankees set to arrive Monday at Tampa Bay for a series against the Rays, Chapman was due to throw one more live session, with Boone and his coaches in attendance, before possibly beginning a minor league rehab assignment.
Fellow lefty reliever Zack Britton (Tommy John surgery) is expected to throw a bullpen session Tuesday at Tampa.
Afterward, Britton will return to New York with the club for further evaluation and to plot his next step.
Chapman might be ready to return by the end of this month, while Britton is hopeful of contributing to the Yankees' bullpen at some point later in the season's second half.
Pete Caldera is the Yankees beat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Yankees analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and download our app.
Email: caldera@northjersey.com Twitter: @pcaldera
Source: https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/mlb/yankees/2022/06/18/ny-yankees-toronto-blue-jays-ninth-straight-win-historic-run/7656558001/