Blue Jays drops big flex after embarrassing Yankees

Chris Bassitt (11-4) was dominant on the mound, tossing 7.1 innings, allowing three runs on three hits, and striking out eight. His only blemishes came via the long ball, a solo shot from Jasson Domínguez and a two-run homer from Aaron Judge, Judge’s 37th of the year. Bassitt’s effort was backed by a Blue Jays offense that capitalized on a Yankees team unraveling under pressure.

The Yankees committed four errors in Wednesday’s loss, part of a disastrous series in which they made seven total. In the fifth inning, Davis Schneider and George Springer both scored on a weak chopper from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that resulted in an errant throw from Yankees starter Max Fried (11-4). Fried, returning from a blister injury, allowed six runs (four earned) over 5.1 innings, walking three and striking out three. The miscue by Fried was one of several moments where New York imploded defensively.

An inning later, Cody Bellinger lost a routine fly ball in the twilight, turning a catchable out into an Ernie Clement triple. Myles Straw immediately followed with a double, scoring Clement, then came home himself after first baseman Ben Rice’s error. The chaos continued in the seventh when Jasson Domínguez misplayed a Guerrero single, allowing him to take second. Bo Bichette capitalized by launching a 360-foot two-run homer, his ninth of the season, to give the Blue Jays a comfortable 8-4 lead.

Offensively, Guerrero had two RBIs and scored twice, while Bichette’s homer ended a night where the Jays only needed to apply pressure to force Yankee breakdowns. Schneider, leading off against Fried for the first time, reached base and created havoc with aggressive base running. His recent success at the plate can be attributed to constant stance adjustments, mimicking the likes of Will Smith and Aaron Judge, to find the optimal launch position.

Defensively, the contrast between the two teams was stark. The Blue Jays entered the game ranked eighth in MLB with +13 Outs Above Average, while the Yankees sat 17th at -4. Guerrero made one defensive misstep in the sixth, but it was a rare blemish on an otherwise clean performance by Toronto.