Game Four of the ALDS took the Toronto Blue Jays back to Yankee Stadium to try to take the series from the New York Yankees. With the visitors scheduling a bullpen game, but also known to hammer the hometown starting pitcher, did the runs come as expected? Did the series get tied 2-2, or did the Blue Jays earn an extra rest day heading into the ALCS?
The game started as a close, low-scoring affair. The Yankees continued to play better defense than they have all year, and the bullpen game for the Blue Jays went as well as anyone could have hoped. Starting pitcher Cam Schlittler, who Stat Muse reports had a record of 0-1 before the game, with an ERA of 8.10 and 5 strikeouts in 2 appearances against, managed to pitch into the seventh inning with just two runs against. The relievers on the other side somehow outdid the young star, with only one run against them over that same period.
Schlittler allowed a single in the seventh before infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. coughed up an error on a would-be double play ball, forcing the starter out of the game with runners on the corners. Yankees’ reliever Devin Williams struck out DH George Springer on an attempted hit-and-run, which allowed the lead runner to advance to second base. Outfielder Nathan Lukes came up clutch for Toronto, hitting a two-out, two-run single, making it 4-1. First basemen Vladimir Guerrero Jr. then worked a walk before a pop fly ended the biggest inning of the game.
The Yankees applied pressure in the bottom half of that inning. They had runners on first and second with one out, but failed to advance them any further. Reliever Brendon Little did well to escape the jam he created unscathed.
The Blue Jays put some pressure on in the top of the eighth inning. With an additional run already in and two men on base, Yankees’ reliever Camilo Doval ran a ball in on the Toronto batter, Ernie Clement. For a moment, it appeared he was struck in the head with a 97-MPH pitch, but the replay showed a deflection off his shoulder. New York fought out of it from there, keeping it at 5-1.
Reliever Jeff Hoffman got two batters out before loading the bases with a walk. Yankees catcher Austin Wells came to the plate representing the tying run, but popped out, scoring no runs in the inning. The Blue Jays made some noise at the top of the ninth, but ended with no additional runs.
Hoffman came back out in the bottom half of the inning to finish the job. Outfielder Jasson Dominguez led off with a double, but New York followed it up with two outs. This brought the dangerous Judge up to bat, who scorched a double off the wall, scoring a run to make it 5-2.
Hoffman finished the game by striking out the next batter, sending the Yankee faithful home upset. The Blue Jays advance to the ALCS, in which they will host the winner of the series between the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners, currently tied 2-2.
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