Done In by the 3-Run HR, & the Grand Slam. Toronto 12 NY 5

July 2, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0
The Martian with a clutch, 2-out, 2-RBI single in the 1st.

The Yanks had an early 2-0 lead with Max Fried on the mound — but Fried was done in by a solo HR and 3-run HR in the 4th. Then after the Yanks came back to tie the game 4-4, Mark Leiter Jr. was ineffective (again) in the 7th, and Luke Weaver came in and allowed a Grand Slam — sending NY to a 12-5 loss in Toronto on a Tuesday afternoon.

Weaver was burned by a catcher’s interference call on a batter he struck out, and then allowed a single thru the hole before allowing a grand slam to George Springer.

Journeyman Geoff Hartlieb — brought up from AAA Scranton before the game — put some gasoline on the fire in the 8th, turning a 9-4 deficit into a 12-4 game.

“It was just one of those stretches where 3 hitters — give up a homerun on a pitch where I felt it was a good 2-strike pitch but a good hitter made a good swing and hit a homerun,” said Fried afterwards. “Then get a groundball and that happens, then try to make maybe too good of a pitch and be too fine on the corners and walk a guy, and then fall behind and try to put the ball over the plate try to get a ground ball and its a little bit of a windy day and you have to make sure you keep the ball on the ground and I didn’t do that.”

“That was a confusing one,” said Weaver about the catcher’s interference. “That was one I didn’t see in real time; I was trying to make sense of it in real time. It’s pretty devastating honestly. I feel like that’s a really unfortunate part of our game, and I think it doesn’t belong in our game and there should be some discretion to it. I understand that there are moments where it’s egregious and they hit the glove on a full swing. You feel like you earned something there and it was taken from you.”

“I’m trying to get the ground ball on the next pitch and it just finds the hole,” continued Weaver. “You run into a bad pitch there against a guy having a good day, and the game gets away from you.”

NY falls to 48-37, and are now 1 game ahead of Toronto for 1st place in the AL East, 1.5 ahead of Tampa, and 6.5 ahead of Boston. Toronto improves to 47-38.

1. The Martian Puts NY Up 2-0 in 1st

Kevin Gausman started for the Blue Jays — coming in with a 6-6 3.60 slash line. Yankee fans know if he is on his game he is frustratingly good, and if he is off his game, can be hit.

It looked like one of the later days in the 1st as Paul Goldschmidt led off the game with a single, Cody Bellinger lined out to center, Aaron Judge was semi-intentionally walked, Jazz Chisholm Jr. popped out, but Giancarlo Stanton walked to load the bases.

And then The Martian got a clutch, 2-out single to center for a 2-0 Yankee lead.

2. Fried Hurt by HR Ball in 4th

Max Fried started for NY — coming in with a 10-2 1.92 slash line. All was looking good for NY as Fried was his usual masterful self — pitching a shutout into the 4th with only 1 baserunner allowed (a 1-out walk in the 1st).

But George Springer led off the 4th with a 404-ft HR to left center and it was 2-1 NY.

Fried got the next 2 batters, but with 2 outs — leftfielder Davis Schneider reached on an infield single to 3rd, that Jazz charged but threw just wide to 1st.

Miles Straw walked, and 2nd baseman Andres Gimenez hit a 3-run HR “just” over the fence in center. And just like that it was Toronto 4 NY 2.

After that, Fried retired the next 7 batters in a row — but the damage was done.

3. Gausman Strands Lots of NY Baserunners

Meanwhile Kevin Gausman was rope-a-doping the Yankee lineup, as he is known to do on good days — getting in and out of jams.

  • Aaron Judge hit a 1-out double in the 3rd, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked behind him — but Gausman struck out Stanton and got The Martian to line out to 2nd to strand the baserunners.
  • DJ LeMahieu hit a 2-out single in the 4th, and Goldschmidt doubled behind him — but Bellinger flied out to end the inning and strand the baserunners.
  • Judge singled to leadoff the 5th and Chisholm walked behind him — but Stanton struck out, The Martian flied out to DEEP center, and Anthony Volpe grounded out to strand the baserunners.

4. Toronto Errors Gift Yanks a 4-4 Tie in 7th

Nick Sandlin relieved Gausman for the 6th, and gave up a 1-out single to DJ LeMahieu — but got Goldschmidt to hit into a double play.

Finally in the top of the 7th, with Toronto up 4-2, the Yanks broke through again — helped by Toronto strategy and errors.

Intentional Walk of Judge Backfires

Cody Bellinger led off the inning against 6’2 lefty reliever Jordan Bruihl with a single, and Toronto manager John Schneider for the 2nd time in 2 days intentionally walked Aaron Judge to put a runner in scoring position!

Jazz Chisholm grounded out to move the runners to 2nd and 3rd.

Reliever Braydon Fisher — a 6’4 righty — was brought in to face Giancarlo Stanton, and Stanton hit a hard Baltimore chop to 3rd that went under Ernie Clement‘s glove and into left for an error — Bellinger scoring for a 4-3 game.

With runners on 1st and 3rd and 1 out, The Martian hit a grounder to 1st that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. booted — with Chisholm scoring for a 4-4 tie.

But with runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out — Volpe hit a DEEP DRIVE to right center, caught at the wall — and J.C. Escarra struck out. Two more baserunners frustratingly stranded.

5. Leiter Ineffective; Weaver Coughs Up Slam

And then came the bottom of the 7th — and Mark Leiter Jr. was on the mound once again for the Yanks — he seems to be in every game — and recently he has been ineffective.

Leiter got Miles Straw to fly out to start the inning, but then yielded a single and a walk and was Yanked for Luke Weaver.

Weaver Screwed by Call and Serendipity

Weaver struck out pinch hitter Addison Barger on a 3-2 pitch — but Barger was awarded 1st base on catcher’s interference by JC Escarra — loading the bases.

Ernie Clement then singled thru the hole “just” past Volpe into left for a 5-4 Toronto lead.

And then George Springer hit a 95-MPH four-seam fastball from Weaver 405 feet to left center for a Grand Slam and 9-4 Toronto lead.

6. Hartlieb Adds Fuel to the Bonfire

Geoff Hartlieb added fuel to the bonfire in the 8th. The 31-year-old, 6’6 righthander — who once pitched for the Mets — was picked up by the Yanks in the winter and

Hartlieb’s inning went like this:

  • Walk,
  • Strikeout,
  • Walk,
  • Strikeout,
  • Single,
  • Walk for a run and 10-4 Toronto lead,
  • Single for 2 more runs and 12-4 Toronto lead.

7. The Martian Drives in Run in 9th

Aaron Judge was — get this — semi-intentionally walked by reliever Yariel Rodriguez to start the 9th with Toronto up 12-4. Judge moved to 2nd on fielder’s indifference — moved to 3rd on a single by Giancarlo Stanton, and scored on a groundout by The Martian.

But Anthony Volpe popped out for the old ballgame.

Etcetera

  • Aaron Judge went 2-2 with a double and 3 walks — all intentional or semi-intentional.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401696183

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