Yankees clinch AL East with 5-2 win over Blue Jays

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Aaron Judge still didn’t hit his historic 61st homerun in Toronto on Tuesday, but the New York Yankees didn’t need dingers to beat the sloppy Blue Jays, 5-2.

New York’s 6-foot-7 All-Star slugger remained stuck on No. 60 for a seventh straight game, still waiting to pull even with Roger Maris in the American League record books for most homers in a single season. But his Yankees still got to celebrate with champagne in the visitors’ clubhouse, after officially clinching the AL East division with the win.

Judge took four walks, and the Jays made some blunders, including a baserunning gaffe by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. his manager called “inexcusable”.

While more than 34,000 had gathered inside Rogers Centre on Monday for the first game of this three-game series, some 40,000 attended Thursday to see the AL East foes try and cement their playoff fates, and perhaps also witness Judge make baseball history. If No.61 is going to happen in Toronto, it will have to be Wednesday.

The Blue Jays and Yankees, were meeting for the 18th time this season on Tuesday, in the second game of a three-game set. Just like Monday, the stands were jumping, and the press box and photo pits were packed waiting to see if Judge would set the historic milestone.

Each time the power-hitting superstar came to the plate, the same drill ensued. The umpire would stop play to introduce specially-marked balls to the game and fans would jump to attention, many steadying their phones in his direction in anticipation of capturing history. Judge is also contending for the Triple Crown, the league lead in batting average, homers and RBIs.

Leading off for the Bombers, Judge drilled a ball through the air toward third base on his first at-bat, right into Matt Chapman’s glove. That would be the only time Tuesday he’d put one in play.

Judge’s other at-bats included walks by Berrios in the third and fifth, followed by some light booing from restless fans itching to be part of history. John Schneider pulled Berrios from the game in the fifth inning, after he’d allowed a fourth hit of the night, and right before he was set to face Judge for the fourth time.

Instead Zach Pop came out of the bullpen and took on the big man. Pop got ahead in the count at first, whistling some impressive sinking fastballs past him for strikes at 98-mph. But it turned into another walk, and louder boos. Then David Phelps walked him in the eighth.

Toronto had been the first to score in this game, but didn’t lead long. Their first batter of the night, George Springer crushed a lead-off homer over the centre field wall. But after that, the Jays were undone by messy moments in the game.

Bo Bichette mismanaged a face-first slide into second base but was tagged out since his foot was left hanging accidently off the back of the bag. Then Guerrero crushed a ball off the left field wall but got tagged out at second trying to extend the play, after he was caught watching his ball a little too long during the trot to first.

“Vladdy flat out needs to run harder,” said Jays interim manager John Schneider. “That’s inexcusable. I’ll tell him that when I see him later tonight. We’re at the point where every little thing matters. Every 90 feet matters, and should matter every day of the season, and that wasn’t the best right there.”

There was also a high pop-up that fell in shallow centre field between a triangle of Jays all converging on it – Springer, Teoscar Hernandez and backwards pedalling Bichette. Later Bichette fielded a ball and threw it way too high over Cavan Biggio’s head at first base, and despite Biggio leaping high to snag it, it took him off the bag and prevented him from making the out.

As for the walks on Judge, the Jays insist they weren’t trying to walk him. He saw plenty of full counts after all.

“He’s taking some really tough pitches. I think we’re pitching him very well. Minus the intentional walk [Monday], we’re not trying to walk him; we’re trying to get him out,” said Schneider.

“I thought the guys overall threw really good pitches to him. He had some really good takes on balls on the edges, and we’re going to continue to do it that way. He’s a really good player having a hell of a year, but I love the way we attacked him . And I think it’s just more of a credit to him for sitting where he’s at right now. And not really budging off of his approach.”

The Yankees didn’t need homers to win – they chipped away with a parade of hits – 11 exactly -- and methodically moved men around the bases.

Before leaving Rogers Centre for the night, the Yankees came back out onto the field and posed together for a quick team photo, whooping in celebration.