Add The New York Post on Google TORONTO — The place that served as the Yankees’ house of horrors last year delivered a nightmare of a throwback inning on Friday night.
And thanks to another quiet offensive night, it was enough to sink them in another loss.
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What should have been an inning-ending double play to protect a one-run lead in the sixth inning turned into a comedy of errors — somewhere, Benny Hill’s “Yakety Sax” must have been playing — tying the game and extending the inning so the Blue Jays could take the lead on the way to a 3-1 win over the Yankees at a sold-out Rogers Centre.
The sequence that ruined Gerrit Cole’s start started harmlessly enough. The Yankees led 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth with one out and runners on first and second when George Springer hit a chopper to third base. Ryan McMahon fielded it, stepped on third and threw across the diamond trying to complete the double play.
But his throw was a one-hopper to Luis García Jr., who tried to backhand the scoop, only for his glove to fly off in the process.
García then made matters worse by picking up the ball, spinning and firing to third base, where shortstop George Lombard Jr. was in the general vicinity (McMahon had trailed toward home after throwing to first) but not in a position to handle García’s wild throw.
Lombard then collided with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. while trying to chase after the loose ball, to no avail, as Guerrero raced home to tie the game.
With the lifeline to the inning, Alejandro Kirk came up next and drilled a double that scored Springer to put the Blue Jays ahead 2-1.
Trent Grisham had snapped the Yankees’ 14-inning scoreless streak by leading off the top of the sixth inning — a frame in which Aaron Boone was ejected for seemingly nonchalantly arguing balls and strikes from the dugout — with a solo shot off Shane Bieber for the 1-0 lead.
But that was the only offense they could muster, now having scored just one run over their last 18 innings since Wednesday’s 10-run outburst.
It marked the ninth time in their last 14 games that the Yankees have scored two runs or fewer, wasting another strong pitching performance from Cole, who allowed just two runs (one earned) across six innings.
Kirk later added a solo shot in the eighth inning off Bradley Hanner for an insurance run.
Before the sixth-inning atrocity, Cole’s defense had actually saved him earlier in the game. After a walk and a double put the Blue Jays on second and third with one out in the second inning, Cole struck out Kazuma Okamoto and then got some help from Jazz Chisholm Jr.
The second baseman made a sliding, backhanded stop to his right on a scalded grounder by Jesus Sánchez and threw to first for the third out, keeping the game scoreless.
New York Yankees’ George Lombard Jr., front, gets caught in a rundown as Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez, back, pursues during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP Yankees Merch Shop WinCraft insulated can coolers Team Effort driver head cover 47 Brand adjustable cap Customizable jersey Logo fleece blanket 14-ounce sculpted relief coffee mug New York Post receives revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a purchase. In the top of the third, some poor baserunning cost the Yankees a chance to score. Lombard was on first when Grisham roped a single to right field, but the rookie took too wide a turn around second base, which led to him getting in a pickle that resulted in making the second out.
In the fourth, Spencer Jones led off with a hustle double and then tagged to third on a flyout by García — which required a challenge by the Yankees to prove that he slid in safely at third.
But Chisholm followed by flying out to shallow center field, not deep enough for Jones to take a chance at scoring, before Heliot Ramos flew out to the warning track in center field to end the threat.
