TORONTO — The plan has worked to perfection so far and the Toronto Blue Jays are one win away from disposing of the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series.
The Blue Jays decided to start rookie Trey Yesavage at home Sunday in Game 2 of the series and save eight-year veteran Shane Bieber for Game 3 on Tuesday in the hostile environment of New York’s Yankee Stadium.
Yesavage (1-0), making his fourth career major league start, was brilliant in the Blue Jays’ 13-7 victory that gave them a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
The right-hander struck out 10 in the first four innings — tying the MLB postseason record for most whiffs in that span — while walking one. He completed 5 1/3 hitless innings with 11 strikeouts to set Jays postseason marks for most whiffs and longest no-hit bid. His only other runner allowed came on an error.
“I was thinking about the comment I made the other day, that I’m built for this,” said Yesavage, who started the season in Class A. “I thought … I’d better back this up.”
Yesavage, 22, pitched for two Single-A teams, Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo this season before reaching the major leagues Sept. 15 for three starts.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays punished Yankees’ pitching for the second game after winning the opener on Saturday 10-1. The 23 runs were a major league record for the first two games of a team’s postseason series.
Daulton Varsho homered twice with two doubles, four runs scored and four RBIs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added three hits, including the first postseason grand slam in team history.
Ernie Clement contributed a two-run homer and three RBIs and George Springer added a solo shot for Toronto.
Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer for the Yankees and had three RBIs.
New York left-hander Carlos Rodon is scheduled to face righty Bieber on Tuesday.
“We haven’t lost any confidence,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously, they’ve had our number and gotten the better of us so far this year, but I don’t think anyone in our room who doesn’t feel like we can’t go out and beat them.”
Toronto scored twice in the second against Max Fried (0-1). Varsho doubled and continued to third on right fielder Aaron Judge’s error. Clement hit the next pitch to left for his first career postseason home run.
The Blue Jays added three in the third. Davis Schneider walked with one out, took third on Guerrero’s single and scored on Alejandro Kirk’s groundout to first. Varsho stroked an RBI double into the right field corner. Clement followed with an RBI single to left.
In the fourth, Fried allowed an infield hit to Andres Gimenez and walked Myles Straw before Will Warren replaced him and walked Springer to load the bases. Guerrero hit a blast to left on a 2-1 fastball with one out for his second home run in two games.
“He’s our guy,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He’s our dude. I said I want to see him play free and loose but also be locked in. He’s pretty locked in.”
Kirk followed with a single and Varsho hit his first career postseason homer on a blast to right center.
Fried allowed seven runs, eight hits and two walks with one strikeout in three-plus innings.
Springer hit his 20th career postseason homer in the fifth.
Justin Bruihl replaced Yesavage with one out in the sixth and allowed Judge’s infield single and Bellinger’s homer.
The Yankees were glad to see Yesavage leave the game to a resounding ovation.
“That was nasty stuff,” Boone said. “That split is unlike much you ever run into. He got it going, starting it up a lot, breaking it down off the plate, using his fastball enough and slider enough. But we just didn’t have an answer for the split.”
The fans were not happy to see Yesavage leave, however.
“Tough to put into words,” Schneider said. “The kid started in A-ball this year and just did that against that lineup. … What we were looking for were command, poise, all that kind of stuff. That was there. Swings were evident that stuff was good. I know I was getting booed when I went out there, but he wasn’t going to go 120, 130 pitches.”
Varsho hit another homer in the sixth.
Toronto’s Eric Lauer allowed three singles in the seventh to load the bases. Tommy Nance replaced him and yielded Judge’s RBI single, Bellinger’s sacrifice fly, Ben Rice’s RBI double and Giancarlo Stanton’s two-run single.
–Larry Millson, Field Level Media
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