The Yankees came into this one 2-0 down in their series with the Toronto Blue Jays, and with their bullpen and batters struggling. Clarke Schmidt had struggled two days ago, but Michael King excelled and still lost yesterday. The weight was now on the outstanding Gerrit Cole to turn things around.

However with Cole comes Ben Rortvedt, the weakest batter in the Yankees’ camp, and what the Yankees do not need is another weak bat especially if it meant benching Austin Wells who looked like he might be just about to turn things around.

But this was a very difference Yankees’ team than we have seen recently. It is as though when Cole steps on the mound everybody else lights up.

Cole put the Blue Jays’ batters down in the top of the 1st, and this set up the Yankees to find some way of finding a good start with the bat. When DJ LeMahieu singled to right field, and Aaron Judge strode to the plate, it looked like the Yankees’ moment might have come. When Judge headed back to the dugout, having once again struck out, things didn’t look quite so promising. But there was life in the Yankees yet. Gleyber Torres hit a ground ball to rightfielder George Springer, giving himself a single and moving LeMahieu to second. Bit-player, Jake Bauers was the third player to pick up a hit to rightfield, only this time it cleared the wall and gave the Yankees a 3-0 early lead.

In the second, Cole added his second strikeout, and in the bottom of the inning Oswaldo Cabrera hit a single. The Yankees couldn’t build on this, and Blue Jay’s starter Jose Berrios seemed to have overcome his tendency to allow hits to rightfield,

Little more happened until the fourth and then the Yankees still couldn’t build on their advantage. Cole struck out two more, and Anthony Volpe hit a double with nobody out, but the rest of the Yankees’ line-up couldn’t bring him home.

In the 6th, Alejandro Kirk produced a powerful hit towards centrefielder Estevan Florial. Florial could only deflect it, and Bauers had to scoop it up and relay it to the infield. By the time, it got there even Kirk, who is hardly speedy, had reached second, but this time it was Toronto who couldn’t build on their opportunity. Kevin Kiermaier struck out, and Springer hit into a 6-3 groundout to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 6th, Berrios achieved two quick outs, including striking out Bauers. When Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a snappy double to leftfield, it was rather surprising that Berrios was lifted and reliever Tim Mayza brought in. Estevan Florial, who has spent much of the season in the minors, took immediate advantage of the newcomer, with his first double of the season. This brought Kiner-Falefa home, and widened the Yankees advantage to four.

Mayza’s problems continued into the 7th, and when he walked LeMahieu with one out, Nate Pearson came on in his place. LeMahieu stole second, and Judge who had been carrying a burden, and seemingly always trying to reach the fence, finally settled for a strong double to leftfielder, Whit Merrifield. LeMahieu crossed the plate, and the Yankees seemed to be coasting home with a 5-0 lead.

However, the Blue Jays pulled one back as Cole hit a wobble trying to make his way through the top of the eighth. He gave up a double to third baseman to Matt Chapman. Chapman moved up to third when Spencer Horwitz hit a flyout to leftfield, and then scored on Cole’s wild pitch. Fortunately, Cole was able to shake off the problem, and came up with two easy outs to take the game into the bottom of the eighth.

Despite a single (for Kiner-Falefa), three walks, and a wild pitch, the Yankees could not extend their lead, and let Pearson off lightly.

Wisely, the Yankees brought on Clay Holmes in place of Cole who left with eight innings under his belt for no earned runs, no walks, and only 2 hits and a total of 9 strikeouts. Cole continues to dominate. However, it also continues to be the case that if Holmes does not get off on a good footing with the first batter he faces, then his confidence wavers and he struggles. Kiermaier and Springer both singled, and after a clumsy attempt at a forceout, runners were at first and third. A walk was issued to Cavan Biggio, and the bases were loaded.

The Blue Jays brought on Vladimir Guerrero jr to pinch hit, and there was confusion on the field when the Yankees appealed the play which resulted from Guerrero’s ground out which scored Kiermaier. The appeal was dismissed, and the original outcome upheld. Pinch runner Cam Eden replaced Guerreo on first, and the Blue Jays had an opportunity to get back into the game.

A fielding error by Gleyber Torres allowed Chapman to get on base, scoring Bichette and advancing Eden to second.

More might have come of this, but the Blue Jays already had two outs, and the window of opportunity closed when Spencer Horwitz hit into a groundout.

Positives? Eight of the nine Yankees in the starting lineup hit safely, and the one who didn’t, Rortvedt, reached safely on a walk. Of these, Aaron Judge wasn’t pressing any longer, and he seemed more confident on the basepaths for the first time since his toe injury. Today, he collected a single and a double. Cole took another step towards a Cy Young for the first time in his career with another stellar performance.

Negatives? Holmes continues to be up and down based on his confidence in his own ability on any given day. Today, things were made worse for him by Torres’ error, but he looked rattled from the beginning.

Next, after losing two consecutive home series, the Yankees welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to town. The Diamondbacks need to win as they seek to clinch their division title, the Yankees simply want to close their home series with a win. Will that be sufficient motivation in this difficult season?