Yankees crush Blue Jays in team’s final road series

For now, and only for now, the Blue Jays are done visiting Yankee Stadium. In the team’s final away series of the season, they were rocked, roughed up, and rammed by the mammoth New York Yankees. Though they did show some signs of life at various points, the series was disappointing overall.

Here’s a look at the good, the bad, and the weird from the final road series of the 2019 season:

Cavan Biggio (3-for-11, R, 2B), Jonathan Davis (2-for-4, RBI), Randal Grichuk (3-for-11, R, 2B), and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3-for-8, 2B, RBI) contributed nicely, while Teoscar Hernandez (3-for-7, R, 2 2B, 3B, RBI, BB) showed some pop, despite striking out three times in the set. Billy McKinney (2-for-6, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI) exploded in the finale as well, providing all of the team’s offence Sunday.

Relievers Jason Adam (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 3 SO, W), Buddy Boshers (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, SO), Sam Gaviglio (0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, SO), and Ken Giles (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 2 SO, SV) were all solid, with Elvis Luciano (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, BB, 2 SO) turned in a great frame.

Anthony Alford (0-for-5, 0 TB, 4 SO), Brandon Drury (1-for-7, 2 R, 2B, 2 SO), Derek Fisher (0-for-2, 2 SO), and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (0-for-8, 0 TB, 5 SO) struggled heavily, as did Reese McGuire (1-for-5, 3 SO). Justin Smoak (1-for-8, R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 SO, 4 TB) didn’t fare too well, even with his crucial home run Friday.

On the mound, Wilmer Font (1.0 IP, 2 H, 4 R/ER, 2 BB, SO, L) and Brock Stewart (1.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R/ER, HR, SO) were rocked, while Trent Thornton (5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R/ER, HR, 3 SO) also scuffled following the opener. Jacob Waguespack (5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R/ER, 2 HR, BB, 6 SO) also wasn’t too effective in his outing.

Joe West, one of Major League Baseball’s most confounding and at times frustrating umpires, made yet another perplexing call Sunday, calling Yankees infielder D.J. LeMahieu safe on a force play at second base despite the fact that Cavan Biggio’s foot appeared to maintain contact with the base throughout.

Though Sportsnet’s Arash Madani quickly offered the explanation he was given from MLB officials on the Sportsnet broadcast, the call nevertheless looks horrid.

As the season winds down, the Blue Jays now return home to host the cellar-dwelling Baltimore Orioles (51-105) in a three-game series that begins Monday. Though Baltimore has yet to announce their list of starters, the Blue Jays are trotting out Clay Buchholz (1-5, 6.48 ERA, 29 SO), Anthony Kay (1-0, 5.79 ERA, 13 SO), and Jacob Waguespack (4-5, 4.75 ERA, 58 SO). The O’s could send Gabriel Ynoa (1-9, 5.65 ERA, 62 SO), Dylan Bundy (6-14, 4.89 ERA, 156 SO), and Chandler Shepherd (0-0, 4.91 ERA, 9 SO) to the hill.