Yankees swept away by Blue Jays as disastrous losing streak continues

Yankees swept away by Blue Jays as disastrous losing streak continues

After being swept out of The Bronx by Toronto, the Yankees hold a half-game lead over the Blue Jays for the final wild-card spot. 

It sure doesn’t feel like they’re going to hang onto it much longer. 

Not after six straight losses — and 10 in their last dozen games — including Thursday’s 6-4 defeat, which also marked the Blue Jays’ eighth consecutive win. 

The Yankees made it interesting with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, as Gary Sanchez and pinch-hitter Luke Voit hit back-to-back homers, but Gio Urshela struck out looking to end it. 

Nestor Cortes Jr. allowed just a pair of runs — both on solo homers — in six innings. Recent call-up Sal Romano gave up a run in the seventh and Wandy Peralta allowed an unearned run in the eighth. 

The Yankees, though, got just a two-run homer from Anthony Rizzo in the sixth that briefly tied the game. 

Down by a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth, the Yankees had a chance to rally, but came up short again. 

DJ LeMahieu pinch hit for Brett Gardner to lead off the inning against lefty Tim Mayza and served a single to right. Aaron Judge singled to left to bring up Rizzo, who grounded into a force out. 

Gleyber Torres reacts after he strikes out to end the sixth inning.Gleyber Torres reacts after he strikes out to end the sixth inning.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

Giancarlo Stanton came up with runners on the corners and one out but grounded into an inning-ending double play, which sent most of the remaining fans in attendance to the exits. 

Andrew Heaney’s nightmare tenure with the Yankees continued in the ninth, as the lefty allowed a pair of runs to put the game further out of reach. 

The night got off to a poor start for Cortes and the Yankees, as Bo Bichette led off the game with a laser homer to left. 

Marcus Semien followed with a single before Cortes got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. swinging for the first out. 

A Teoscar Hernandez double sent Semien to third, but Cortes responded by getting Alejandro Kirk to fly to right — too shallow to score Semien — and then whiffed Lourdes Gurriel Jr. looking. 

The Yankees managed to get a runner into scoring position in the bottom of the inning against right-hander Jose Berrios, when Judge reached on a fielder’s choice and moved to second on a throwing error by second baseman Semien, but Rizzo and Stanton popped out. 

A pair of singles gave the Yankees runners on first and second with two out in the third, but Rizzo grounded out. 

Stanton led off the bottom of the fourth with a sharp single to left before inexplicably trying to stretch it to a double while not running at full speed. Gurriel’s throw arrived in plenty of time, but Stanton was initially called safe after an awkward slide nearly caused Gurriel to miss the tag. Toronto challenged the play and it was overturned. 

The Blue Jays added a run in the fifth, as Randal Grichuk homered to left to start the inning. 

Rizzo tied it in the bottom of the inning with a towering, two-run shot into the bleachers in right. 

Sal Romano reacts after giving up a run during the seventh inning. Sal Romano reacts after giving up a run during the seventh inning.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

It came after Judge reached on an infield single that bounced off third base. Rizzo followed with his fifth home run as a Yankee to make it 2-2. Prior to the blast, Rizzo hadn’t homered since Aug. 31. 

Romano, recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Thursday to take the roster spot of injured Jameson Taillon, replaced Cortes to start the seventh. Romano allowed a two-out double to Jansen and hit pinch-hitter Jake Lamb. 

Bichette singled to center to score Jansen, as the Blue Jays went ahead for good. 

Romano left with the bases loaded and two out for Peralta, who fanned Guererro to keep it a one-run game. 

Berrios was pulled with one on and two out in the seventh, as Joakim Soria entered to face Urshela, who struck out on three pitches. 

Toronto loaded the bases with one out in the eighth against Peralta, who walked two and gave up a single and wasn’t helped by an error by Tyler Wade. 

Peralta then walked Jansen to force in an unearned run. As his pitch count rapidly escalated, Peralta got the next two batters.