Yankees 3, Blue Jays 1: Right At The End There

 

Louis Varland, a sad man whose ERA has exploded to 0.96

Kevin Gausman, his splitter splitting tremendously (have I mentioned that old-timey baseball-looking-into has revealed to me that the split-finger pitch was first referred to as "the dry spitter," which somehow sounds wildly inappropriate in a nonspecific way?), allowed just one hit (and a couple walks [plus one guy reached on an early Ernie Clement error {we all love him, but Ernie is kicking it a little this year, isn't he? let us continue to believe in him all the same though}]) throughout the full seven innings of his finest start in this, our further-along-than-you-might-entirely-be-ready-for 2026 season. That that lone hit was also a long hit, as I have just now mistyped and then corrected but then also included because of how it is apt, is of course a shame. A home run to young Jasson Domínguez, of all people! A wonderful pitching performance, though. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays entered into the frustrating practice of "colleagues stranding colleagues," leaving basically a million guys on base, which is really tough to do unless you are also hitting into double plays, which of course they very much did also. Kazuma Okamoto homered for the second day in a row (one that barely scraped the wall this time, unlike Friday night's "utmost decker"), but that's all that could be managed. Further to what can be managed, managingly, by a manager: there will no doubt be some scrutiny visited upon John Schneider's call to have Ernie Clement attempt a sacrifice bunt with runners on first and second, nobody out, in the bottom of the eighth, but fundamentally I agree with the analysis of colour-guy Joe Siddell, who said that while it was perhaps an iffy move (Ernie should probably be up there hacking), once the call is made, it is really just incumbent upon the batter to get the bunt down; instead, in this instance, Ernie popped it straight up, and that was that (as far as that particular plate appearance went, at any rate—it was only the first out of that promising yet ultimately fruitless inning [of baseball]). Our rookie infielder Charles McAddoo (playing first, this time, in for Vladdy, whose back was visibly grabbing and bothering him even on the swing with which he double Friday night) had a couple of seemingly tasty chances with runners on in the late innings, but lined out on a great play to Jazz Chisholm Jr. the first time, and popped out quite harmlessly the other. Tyler Rogers got through another scoreless eighth, but a Cody Bellinger single and a (future Hall-of-Famer?) Paul Goldschmidt home run turned Louis Varland's aspect in the ninth fairly Charlie Brownish (they're both from Minnesota!), as pictured above (Varland still has a ways to go to match Tim Mayza on even Mayza's least Charlie Brown day, though). This was a very good baseball game on what appeared to be a lovely day in Toronto, though, and so despite the ninth-inning loss, I had a really nice time watching it as I went about some afternoon chores and honestly don't feel that bad about it.

KS