Yanks PULVERIZE Blue Jays. Rizzo Grand Slam! NY 12 Toronto 3

Holy Shit.

One minute the Yankees are down 1-0 to the Blue Jays in the 3rd and Ross Stripling is giving them trouble.

Next minute they’re up 2-1.

And then you look down at your phone just a little while later and it’s NY 10 Toronto 1.

An 8-run 5th inning highlighted by an Anthony Rizzo Grand Slam.

The Yankees are dismantling teams. Top teams like Tampa and now Toronto. The Yankees are winners of 8 straight and sporting the best record in baseball by 6 games with their 48-16 record.

This was the second time we had to use the word PULVERIZE in a headline this week — they Crushed (and swept) the Cubs, 18-4, 8-0, 2-1 in 13; swept Tampa with pitching. They are winning all kinds of ways. Every day is a FUN day in Yankee Universe.

“It was fun, especially after our long travel night last night,” said Anthony Rizzo afterwards about the 8-run 5th inning. “We know everyone’s tired. But the energy on the bench was really good early on, knowing that our levels were a little lowered. When you get the homerun from G and it just adds on quick… the next pitch was a homer too, back to back; then Gleyber with the double. It’s fun for us because we always say ‘it can happen fast’ and when it does, those are always fun moments for us.”

1. Monty Gets Support

And even Jordan Montgomery is getting run support now. In this one, an 8-run 5th inning capped by an Anthony Rizzo Grand Slam.

While Stripling and the Toronto bullpen were getting bashed, Monty pitched a very strong ballgame: 6 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, struck out 5 and walked only 1. He threw 93 pitches.

The win improves his record to 3-1 2.72. Beautiful.

2. The 2-Run Fourth Inning

Stripling — who came in with a 3-1 3.14 record — was giving NY trouble in shutting them out through 3 innings but the Yanks were knocking on his door.

NY had 2 baserunners in the 2nd (walk and a single) and 2 baserunners in the 3rd (two singles) and then in the 4th, DJ LeMahieu singled and Gleyber Torres doubled him home for a tie game.

Joey Gallo walked and Isiah Kiner-Falefa lined out to right moving Gleyber to 3rd. Kyle Higashioka grounded out to score Gleyber from 3rd, tying the game.

It not only tied the game — that was all for Stripling. Gone. Replaced by 6-foot right hander Trent Thornton from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who entered with a 2.59 ERA. This would prove to be a pivotal pitching change.

3. The 8-Run Fifth Inning

Thornton struck out Josh Donaldson for the last out of the 4th but in the 5th, he got LIT UP.

He started the inning by hitting Anthony Rizzo with a pitch, and then next batter Giancarlo Stanton hit one off the end of his bat that traveled out to right for a short-porch homer and a 4-1 Yankee lead.

Next batter DJ LeMahieu homered to center.

Next batter Gleyber Torres doubled, and then the next batter Joey Gallo doubled him home. It was 6-1 NY and Thornton was GONE. His ERA about to go to 4.38.

Thornton was replaced by Trevor Richards, a 6’2 right hander who entered with a 5.86 ERA but strikes out a lot of guys.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa greeted Richards with a single,  and Richards intentionally walked Aaron Judge in between striking out Kyle Higashioka and Josh Donaldson.

With 2 outs, bases loaded, Anthony Rizzo stepped up. And hit a Grand Slam to right. 10-1 NY. In a flash.

“I just think we’re a group of guys who have been around for a while to know what it takes to get ready for a game, and the mentality it takes to get ready for a game,” said Anthony Rizzo afterwards. “And just celebrating a win, and when we lose we get over it quickly and just prepare the next day to go out to win a baseball game.”

4. Bullpen Wraps It Up

After that it was all wrap up.  Monty allowed a solo homer in the 6th to Alejandro Kirk before leaving with a 10-2 lead. Manny Banuelos, Miguel Castro, and Lucas Luetge pitched the final 3 innings for the Yanks — allowing 1 run (off Banuelos).

5. Gallo Homer to Cap It

Joey Gallo hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 9th to cap it — 12-3 — for the old ballgame.

Etcetera

  • Aaron Judge went 2-5 with a walk to raise his average to .312 (.388)
  • Anthony Rizzo went 2-3 with a walk to raise his average to .228 (.330 OBP)
  • DJ LeMahieu went 3-5 to raise his average to .261 (.345 OBP)
  • Gleyber Torres with 2-4 to raise his average to .254 (.304 OBP)
  • Joey Gallo went 2-4 with the homer to raise his average to .191 (.296 OBP)

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401355201

 

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