NEW YORK – It was a few hours before the scheduled first pitch on Saturday and Aaron Boone was seated in Yankee Stadium’s press conference room, clearly fatigued after weeks of discussing the state of Aaron Judge’s throwing arm.
The manager mentioned that the Yankees have had infielders working on “creative cuts,” intended to assist the captain as he recovers from a right flexor strain. No such accommodations are necessary for Cody Bellinger, who uncorked a sixth-inning rocket from right field, cutting down the potential tying run in the Yankees’ 3-1 victory over the Blue Jays.
The Yankees (79-63) improved to 4-8 against Toronto (82-60) this season, moving within three games of the top spot in the American League East.
With Nathan Lukes’ single splashing onto the outfield grass, Bellinger came up firing with a 95.3 mph, one-hop strike to catcher Austin Wells that cut down Bo Bichette at home plate. Bichette immediately reached for his left knee after the play, while a fired-up Wells bounded toward his dugout, exchanging high-fives with teammates.
Heavy storms prompted the tarpaulin to be dragged out immediately following that play, with a 106-minute delay on deck.
Bichette would remain in the game, but Bellinger’s throw preserved a Yankees lead built upon Jasson Domínguez’s run-scoring single and a Wells sacrifice fly, both in the second inning. They supported right-hander Luis Gil, who limited Toronto to one run on three hits and four walks over six innings with one strikeout. Wells added a second sac fly in the sixth.
Toronto’s lone run scored in the fourth inning, when Isiah Kiner-Falefa legged out a potential double-play ball, allowing Bichette to trot home.
The Yanks nearly added a run in the fifth as Bellinger initially appeared to reach first base on a wild throw from the shortstop Bichette. The call was overturned by replay, which showed that first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. slapped Bellinger’s back foot with a swipe tag.
