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The first two games of the Yankees’ American League Division Series matchup with the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto went about as poorly as one could have possibly imagined.
The vaunted Bombers offense was held to a bases-loaded walk in Game 1 and then didn’t get a hit—let alone score—in Game 2 until they were already trailing by a dozen runs. Meanwhile, none of the pitchers outside of middle relievers Camilo Doval and Tim Hill have had an answer for the Blue Jays’ attack. It’s true that some big names haven’t had a chance to pitch yet (David Bednar and Devin Williams from the ‘pen, Carlos Rodón and Cam Schlittler from the rotation), but it was jarring to see ace Max Fried destroyed in an even worse way in Game 2 than fourth starter Luis Gil in Game 1.
The MLB postseason is notorious for its feelings of whiplash. The last time the Yankees played at home, they were triumphantly sending the Red Sox home in the Wild Card Series behind Schlittler’s rookie heroics. Now, they’re faced with the prospect of not even getting to use Schlittler again because he’s the planned Game 4 starter and the Yankees need to win Game 3 on Tuesday night to even make that contest necessary. They will be swept away in another season of disappointment if they lose tomorrow.
Regardless, this outcome is a departure from what most Yankees fans predicted in our pre-ALDS Reacts survey. “Yankees in four” was the most popular pick, winnning a 53-percent majority.
There is, however, a faint chance for the runner-up, 28-percent “Yankees in five” crowd to be proven correct. The Yanks will have to match the efforts of their 2001 and 2017 clubs, coming back from an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five to take the ALDS.
Before the Yankees can even dream about that though, they must come up with big wins in Game 3 and Game 4 at Yankee Stadium to send the series back to Toronto. Maybe someone has a Derek Jeter-like “Flip Play” in them, or a Masahiro Tanaka-like gem on the mound. If they get there, then despite their season-long struggles at the Rogers Centre, anything can happen in a weird winner-take-all. But again, that’s a long way away when you’ve been destroyed over the first two games.
So for our next Reacts poll, it’s simple: Will we see a Game 5 on Friday night in Toronto? Do you think they can win that? Or will the Yankees suffer an agonzing playoff elimination at home for the third time in four years? Vote in the poll below to let us know.
