The Yankees didn’t put together a big offensive night Friday, and they didn’t need one. They got the kind of clean, efficient win teams can build on: a two-run blast, a starter who kept Toronto from stringing together much of anything, and a bullpen that shut the door.
Spencer Jones delivered the swing that changed the game, homering for the second straight day as New York beat the Blue Jays 3-1 at Yankee Stadium. Cam Schlittler did the rest on the mound, working six innings and allowing just one run. The victory was New York’s fifth in a row.
With the win, the Yankees moved to 73-55, have taken nine of their last 13, and pulled within three games of Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Jones wasted no time making his presence felt. Trent Grisham opened the bottom of the second with a walk and stole second, setting up Jones with a runner in scoring position.
Jones jumped on a curveball from Spencer Arrighetti and sent it deep to right for a two-run homer, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead. Toronto asked for a replay review on whether the ball stayed fair, but the call stood.
It was Jones’ seventh homer, and another reminder of what the Yankees are getting from a young hitter whose power plays instantly when he squares one up. He’ll strike out, and he’s still working through the usual growing pains that come with major league pitching, but the pop is real. When he connects, the ball leaves in a hurry.
The Yankees added one more run in the fourth. George Lombard Jr. singled to start the inning, eventually reached third, and José Caballero brought him home with a sacrifice fly to center. That pushed the lead to 3-0.
That was enough support for Schlittler, who had to work for every clean inning. Toronto finished with six hits and three walks against him, and there were plenty of moments when the Blue Jays looked ready to make things uncomfortable.
They put two runners on in the third before Schlittler struck out Jesús Sánchez to end the inning. In the fourth, Toronto had runners at second and third, but Schlittler escaped again.
The Blue Jays finally got on the board in the fifth when Alejandro Kirk singled in a run. Schlittler answered by getting Sánchez to bounce into a double play, preventing the inning from turning into something bigger.
His final line: six innings, six hits, one earned run, three walks and four strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 2.16 and improved to 11-6. Not spotless, but steady and good enough.
From there, the bullpen handled the rest. Brent Headrick worked a scoreless seventh and came through with a key strikeout after Toronto had a runner on third with two outs.
Paul Blackburn took the eighth. David Bednar got the ninth, and he had to earn it after Toronto opened the inning with a double.
Bednar retired the next three hitters, and his strikeout of B. Bateman ended the game.
It was his 30th save.
The Yankees finished with just four hits and struck out 12 times, so this wasn’t an offensive showcase by any stretch. But Jones supplied the big blow, Caballero added the insurance run, and the pitching staff did the rest.
There’s also a larger story developing here. Jones homered, Lombard scored, and Schlittler gave the Yankees six strong innings. The younger players aren’t just filling space anymore; they’re becoming part of why this team keeps winning.
New York still has plenty to clean up, especially on nights when the offense is this quiet. But Friday was a reminder that winning doesn’t always have to be loud. Sometimes it’s one big swing, a starter who keeps hanging around, and a bullpen that finishes what was started.
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