So, one down in the series and time for the Yankees to try and turn things around.

On the mound is the rookie of the year from 2024, Luis Gil who has recovered from injury. In his first games since returning, he started slowly but he has now built up his stamina and is settling well.

The Toronto Blue Jays started with George Springer leading off and popping up to Anthony Volpe for the first out, and then Addison Barger lined out to Cody Bellinger who is in rightfield this afternoon. So, a good start for Gil but then the Yankees’ nemesis from last night, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a double on a sharp line drive towards Jasson Dominguez as a way of welcoming Jasson back to the line-up.

However, Gil turned it around by getting Bo Bichette to line out to the centerfielder Trent Grisham.

Like last night, the Blue Jays’ pitching showed they are more than up to this task – matching and even improving on the standard of Gil’s pitching. Chris Bassitt got Grisham to strike out swinging and then Ben Rice to ground out to Guerrero at first and finally Daulton Varsho was able to cleanly take a sharp fly out from Aaron Judge to end the inning.

In the second, Varsho himself popped out into foul territory and Austin Wells, the catcher this afternoon, took it cleanly. A few problems developed for Gil after that though. He walked Nathan Lukes and after getting ex-Yankee Isiah Kiner-Falefa to fly out to left, he issued a wild pitch to move Lukes to second. He got away with it, though getting Andres Gimenez to strike out swinging.

The Yankees having looked most likely to concede runs, then did actually draw first blood. It began with Bassitt issuing a walk to Cody Bellinger and then to make matters worse an error by Guerrero on a relatively simple fielder’s choice. This resulted in Jazz Chisholm Jr being allowed to arrive safely at first as Toronto chose to get Bellinger out, only for Guerrero to fluff the throw allowing Bellinger to arrive at third.

Then, a single from Dominguez brought Bellinger safe at home and advanced Chisholm to third. 1-0

Antony Volpe then struck out swinging, but then a sacrifice fly from Austin Wells took Chisholm over home plate. 2-0.

Ryan McMahon ended the inning with a 4-3 ground out.

In the third, there was only a walk for Barger in the Blue Jays favour as Tyler Heineman popped out to third, Springer flied out to centerfield and Guerrero grounded out allowing third baseman McMahon to cleanly field the ball and toss it over to Rice at first.

In the bottom of the inning with two outs (Grisham grounded out, Rice flyout), it was Judge who looked like he might extend the lead for New York. He hit a single to leftfield and then stole second base. A walk was then issued to Bellinger, but Chisholm couldn’t deliver the goods as he flied out to Varsho in centerfield.

This was still a very close game and an argument could be made that Toronto didn’t deserve to be in arrears. And they were just about to narrow that gap. Gil issued two consecutive walks – first to to Bichette and then to Varsho. Then Lukes grounded into a force play with the Yankee combination of Chisholm and Volpe choosing to make the first out Varsho, thereby allowing Bichette to advance to third and Lukes to arrive at first.

Another force out came next with Kiner-Falefa this time hitting to Volpe. Volpe chose to throw over to Chisholm meaning that Lukes was out at second, but consequently Bichette scored, and Kiner-Falefa was at first. 2-1 to NYY.

Gimenez hit a fly out to Dominguez and again the players on the field changed over.

So, the narrow lead was narrower. Then Dominguez grounded out and Volpe and Wells lined out and the Yankees could not restore that two run advantage.

Thankfully, there was nothing for the Blue Jays in the fifth. Three fly outs. Heineman…Springer…Barger. Gil still held the game in his hands.

The game got more untidy for the Toronto side in the bottom of the 5th. They walked McMahon, and then despite a strike out (foul tip) for Grisham, Rice hit a single to move McMahon into a scoring position. Yet another force out came next. Judge hit a grounder towards Kiner-Falefa, who threw over to Gimenez. McMahon advanced to third and with Rice out at second, Judge took his place at first.

Then the peculiar preference that this group of umpires seems to have for Toronto struck again. After yesterday’s debatable revision on a hit-by-pitch, today it was Bellinger who was called safe at first, having seemingly body-swerved around Guerrero’s attempted tag, which would mean that McMahon would score. Again, a challenge. Again, a reversal. Again, the Yankees and their fans were confident in the original decision. Again, the fans couldn’t believe it and the residents of the Yankees’ dugout were stoic in quiet doubt.

In a few minutes, the Yankees’ maintenance of their lead was to depend almost entirely on Cody Bellinger. Guerrero had opened the inning with a fly out to Grisham, but Bichette hitting a double to left meant an opportunity was opening up. However, when Varsho hit a fly ball to McMahon in foul territory, for the second out, it looked like the chance was about to disappear.

But then… but then… a single for Lukes saw Bichette steaming around third and heading for home. The only thing faster than Bichette was the throw… the electric throw that Cody Bellinger delivered in time for Wells to get Bichette at home. The lesson – “Don’t try to advance on Bellinger”.

And then it rained. And then it rained. But these days, rainouts are not much of a thing – particularly towards the end of the season. When things restarted, over an hour later, Louis Varland had replaced Bassitt. Straighaways, he gave up a single to Chisholm, but then any worries seemed to have been eliminated when Chisholm was caught stealing. However, the problems were not over. Dominguez was walked, and a double from Volpe moved him to third.

The brief visit of Varland came to a swift end, and Brendon Little replaced him. Wells, who has a way for these clutch moments, hit a sacrifice fly and Dominguez scored with Volpe moving to third. 3-1.

McMahon, then, was called out on strikes, third out.

Rain delays have a way of quietening a game down and taking away its momentum and Toronto now looked much less likely to get back into this game. The Yankees made a couple of changes in the field to make the drift even more. Hero of the hour, Bellinger switched from right to left. Jose Caballero replaced Dominguez on the line-up card and took up residence in right.

Also, Luke Weaver took his warmup pitches in place of Gil. Everything felt sedentary and many fans had left when the rain started. Although, Weaver gave up a double to Kiner-Falefa, he did seem quietly in control. Both Gimenez and Heineman flied out to Bellinger. If anything, it did seem that the Yankees took Weaver out too early, with two outs. It did seem that he had the clear road to the end of the inning. Whatever. It was Fernando Cruz to attempt for the last out of the inning. It didn’t begin too well with Cruz walking Springer, but then he got Barger to hit 3-1 for the third out.

And then the bottom of the seventh. Both Grisham and Rice struck out swinging and then when Yariel Rodriguez took over on the mound, Judge was called out to complete the set.

So, in the 8th. Guerrero started off with a single to heighten the Blue Jays chances. But then the Yankees once more began to close everything down with Cruz getting Bichette to strike out swinging and getting Varsho to hit a high looping one toward Grisham for two outs. Now, it was time for closer, David Bednar to fulfil his usual role. He didn’t start out too confidently and he threw a wild pitch to take Guerrero to second. But then he dominated Lukes, who was called out on strikes.

In the bottom of the eighth, Rodriguez began by walking Bellinger, but then struck out Chisholm looking. A 5-4 grounder for Caballero became a force out with the Blue Jays choosing to take out Bellinger. There was little gain in this as Caballero quickly stole second base and an opportunity opened up – which unfortunately the Yankees could not take. Volpe grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.

So, this meant that Toronto would need two runs to tie the game in the ninth. And to be honest the chances looked slim. Bednar continued to dominate and Kiner-Falefa was called out on strikes. Next, a little pop-up from Gimenez went into foul territory and was cleanly taken by McMahon.

Toronto were determined not to simply give up and they drafted in Alejandro Kirk to look for a homer to halve the gap. Some hefty swings saw him strike out swinging and it was all over – 3-1.

The gap at the head of the division is back to 3 games. The series is 1-1. Aaron Judge’s men need to clinch it tomorrow.