Toronto Blue Jays vs New York Yankees Match Player Stats On Oct 01, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Oct 1, 2017

NEW YORK -- For different reasons, the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees were eager to get their regular-season finale done quickly.

Not much was at stake Sunday when Toronto edged New York 2-1 in a game decided on an RBI groundout in front of the plate by Ryan Goins in the eighth inning.

For the Blue Jays, it was chance to plot their next step after being unable to recover from a slow start to the season and ultimately finishing well out of postseason contention after playing for the American League pennant the previous two seasons.

For the Yankees, it was a final tuneup before starting the postseason Tuesday in the wild-card game against the Minnesota Twins.

The teams played briskly, getting to the seventh-inning stretch in under two hours and finishing the game in two hours, 28 minutes.

Toronto, which finished 76-86 after an 8-17 start, fielded a lineup without Josh Donaldson while Jose Bautista was lifted after two plate appearances. Justin Smoak started but missed a chance to reach 40 homers by going 0-for-4.

New York, which finished 91-71 for its best record since 2012, sat Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez. Starlin Castro and Todd Frazier started but exited after their first at-bat.

Bautista exited for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. Before exiting, he hit a single off the left field wall in the second and lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, ending the season at .203 with 23 homers and 65 RBIs.

It also might have been Bautista's final appearance for the Blue Jays, who re-signed him in January on a one-year deal with an option for next season.

The Yankees tied the game when Matt Holliday slugged his 19th homer with one out in the seventh. The Blue Jays put runners at second and third when Goins hit a weak grounder against Domingo German (0-1) just in front of catcher Austin Romine as Rob Refsnyder easily scored.

Danny Barnes (3-6) put two on after Holliday homered but recorded a pair of groundouts and was credited with the win when the Blue Jays scored in the eighth. Roberto Osuna retired the side in the ninth for his 39th save.

New York rookie Jordan Montgomery allowed one run on two hits in 5 2/3 innings. Toronto's Brett Anderson allowed three hits in five innings.

NOTES: After the bottom of the third inning the Yankees announced to fans they are significantly expanding protective netting at Yankee Stadium and at their spring training field in Tampa, Fla. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he would likely carry nine or 10 pitchers for Tuesday's wild-card game vs. the Minnesota Twins. ... Toronto RF Jose Bautista made his 11th start as the DH after expressing to manager John Gibbons he wanted to play Sunday. ... New York RF Aaron Judge was presented with an inscribed Waterford Crystal Gavel by GM Brian Cashman and amateur scouting director Damon Oppenheimer for setting the rookie home run record with 52.