The New York Yankees completed a doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, losing the first game and winning the second. Unfortunately, the Bombers were unable to score a single run in the opener, losing 2-0, despite an adequate performance from Domingo German over 5.2 innings.
The Yankees’ offense continues to struggle at an abnormal rate, striking out eight times and recording just two hits against Alek Manoah, a 23-year-old youngster out of Florida. Manoah had pitched in three games in AAA for Toronto, hosting a 0.50 ERA over 18 innings. He obviously looked strong enough to earn an opportunity at the highest level, and he completely blanked a struggling Yankees team, with Mike Ford and Rougned Odor striking out twice apiece.
Luckily, things went a bit better in the second game for the Yankees offense, as Aaron Judge completely took over and helped escape the series with a win under their belts.
Good news and bad news for the Yankees:
In the 5-3 victory, Judge recorded one hit and three RBIs, including a homer to center, which drove in DJ LeMahieu and a sacrifice hit to right field, driving in Tyler Wade to give the Yankees a two-run lead in the 5th inning.
Aside from Judge, Gary Sanchez had a stellar game, recording two hits over three at-bats, including a solo home run to centerfield, which traveled 444 feet.
The pitching was good, not great, as Jordan Montgomery lasted 4.2 innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs. He currently has a 4.22 ERA, adequate for a low-end starter, but certainly is underwhelming to start the 2021 season. Luckily, the bullpen looked solid, as Jonathan Loaisiga worked his way out of three hits in the fifth inning.
The bad news is that the Yankees are completely overwhelmed with injuries, as closer Aroldis Chapman has been unavailable for the last two days due to illness. The expectation is that he will return Friday, but thankfully he tested negative for COVID-19, so he might just be under the weather.
Unfortunately, starting centerfielder Aaron Hicks will miss the remainder of the 2021 season. With Corey Kluber/Luke Voit hitting the injured list, the Yankees will now have to dive into their reserves to supplement losses. Of course, this will have a significant impact one way or another, but the Yankees have the personnel to survive in the meantime.