Despite a strong start from LHP J.A. Happ, the Yankees were unable to get going offensively, suffering a 2-1 loss -- their fifth straight -- as they fell Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays at Sahlen Field in Buffalo. >> Box score
Six takeaways from Tuesday's game
1. One mistake hindered Happ's otherwise impressive start in which he recorded his season-high 10 strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings of action. Happ (1-2, 4.31 ERA) allowed a 2-2, two-out home run to RF Jonathan Davis. The two-run homer occurred after a two-out bloop single by 3B Joe Panik.
Happ's second-inning miscue overshadowed what ultimately gave the Yankees a chance to win in an outing that saw him yield two runs on four hits while issuing two walks and throwing 113 pitches (68 strikes).
2. After a 10-run meltdown in the sixth inning of Monday's 12-7 loss, the Yankees bullpen registered a bounce-back performance. Following Happ's exit with one out and empty bases in the seventh inning, RHP Michael King got Davis to ground out and fanned C Danny Jansen looking on three strikes. LHP Zack Britton added a 1-2-3 eighth inning, giving the Yankees a fighting chance in the ninth frame.
3. Despite an erratic start for RHP Taijuan Walker, whom the Blue Jays acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a trade Aug. 28, the Yankees were unable to convert. Walker (1-0, 2.95 ERA) lived up to his last name as he issued five free passes -- including three with two outs in the first inning. Once the Yankees stranded the bases loaded on a light fly out by LF Mike Tauchman, that seemed to set the tone. Walker went four shutout innings, yielding two hits and striking out three while throwing 88 pitches (43 strikes).
4. The Yankees left 16 runners on base. Another opportunity surfaced in the fifth inning after leadoff singles by 1B Luke Voit and CF Aaron Hicks and a RF Clint Frazier walk. However, before and after the Yankees saw Tauchman punch a sacrifice fly to left that scored Voit from third, SS Gleyber Torres flew out and C Gary Sanchez struck out.
5. Sanchez and Torres were among five hitless Yankees starters, going a combined 0-for-7 from the plate. Struggles persisted for Sanchez, whose aforementioned strikeout was an inning-ending result with two runners still on base.
6. DH Miguel Andujar was the only Yankee with a pair of hits. From his eight spot in the order, he posted a 2-for-4 performance.
What's next
After an 8-1 start, the Yankees (21-21) have come all the way back down to earth with a .500 record. They aim to avoid a losing mark for the first time in 2020 with Wednesday's 6:37 p.m. game against the Blue Jays (24-18). The Yankees are projected to send RHP Deivi Garcia (0-1, 3.38 ERA) up against Blue Jays RHP Tanner Roark (2-1, 5.74 ERA).