Yankees score walk-off win over Blue Jays after rain delay

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been a resounding hit, having extended his hit streak to 17 games when he stroked an opposite-field double in the second inning off New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole in Sunday’s series rubber match.

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All has been going well for Guerrero at the plate and at a time when so much has been going wrong for the Blue Jays.

He’s the face of the franchise, which will eventually be forced to face the reality of giving Guerrero a lucrative extension or trading him, knowing the Blue Jays only have him under control for one more season beyond 2024.

In the interim, they’ll have to hold him more accountable because mental — or one could easily argue selfish — blunders such as Sunday’s folly in an extra-innings 4-3 loss to the Yankees cannot be tolerated or excused, his prowess at the plate notwithstanding.

This was nowhere near akin to getting picked off at second base in a playoff game, but getting thrown out with none out was quite silly and completely unnecessary. After all, he was already in scoring position.

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While the Jays are playing out the string on a lost season, being attentive to baseball’s details must and should be the focus. There was absolutely no reason for Guerrero to even contemplate stealing third following his leadoff double.

For the record, it was his 19th extra-base hit, including 10 doubles, and fourth in as many games during this 17-game hit streak.

Playing with confidence and with swagger are always welcome and a requisite at this level. Playing smartly should be a given, especially when so much attention is being placed on one individual and will be placed on Guerrero until that franchise-defining decision is made.

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Credit the Blue Jays for their fight level on a day that seemed like it would never end following countless late-inning pitching changes punctuated by a rain delay as the outcome would not be decided until extra innings.

In the home half of the 10th inning, Bowden Francis, who made a start in Baltimore in a Monday doubleheader, was the 12th combined reliever used Sunday.

A sacrifice bunt advanced the runner to third, prompting the Jays to go with a five-man infield. DJ LeMahieu hit a walk-off single up the middle to give the Yankees their lead as the Bronx Bombers took the season series 7-6.

Guerrero served as designated hitter with Spencer Horwitz starting at first base.

The game marked the first appearance for left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, who was thrust into the spotlight when he inherited runners at first and second with no out in the sixth inning. The veteran was acquired on trade deadline day Tuesday from the Los Angeles Dodgers for formers Rays teammate Kevin Kiermaier.

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Three pitches into Yarbrough’s appearance and the Yankees had executed a double steal. A groundout to first base led to New York’s first run as the Jays’ lead was cut in half. One sac fly later and the game was tied.

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Compared to the first two games of the series, Sunday’s showdown was far more interesting and decidedly testy with Yankees manager Aaron Boone getting ejected by home plate umpire Tripp Gibson, who one pitch earlier had tossed Yankees hitting coach James Rowson.

Genesis Cabrera became the fourth reliever used by the Jays. When Cabrera gave up a solo home run to Juan Soto in the seventh inning, the Yankees took their first lead of the game.

Clay Holmes became the third reliever used by the Yankees. He entered the eighth inning with the bases loaded and gave up a sacrifice fly to Alejandro Kirk, who scored the afternoon’s first run some three hours earlier, as the game would be tied.

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The run was unearned, the result of an outfield gaffe that turned into a two-base error in an inning where the Jays did not record a hit and yet managed to score one run when two walks were issued.

When the inning’s final out was recorded, the game went into a weather delay

Following a nearly two-hour delay, play resumed with Ryan Burr on the mound for the Jays. Two outs later with a runner at first, Chad Green became the sixth reliever.

Following a double by Soto, the Jays intentionally walked Aaron Judge for the third time on the day and fourth in two games as the Yankees yet again had the bases loaded.

Green got out of the inning with no runs scored.

Y-ROD LEFT FUMING

Yariel Rodriguez couldn’t make it out of the first inning in his last start against the Orioles when he was erratic and even plunked James McCann in the face with the bases loaded.

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He would load the bases for the second straight outing in the first inning, only this time the Yankees weren’t able to capitalize. Rodriguez faced six batters, required 22 pitches to get out of the inning and even benefited from a called strike that should have been a ball.

Still, it was an uneven beginning for Rodriguez, whose day began by yielding a leadoff single, followed by a four-pitch walk and having pitching coach Pete Walker make a mound visit.

Rodriguez struck out Aaron Judge, who went deep in the first inning of Friday’s series opener and Saturday as he increased his first-inning belt total to 16 to match Babe Ruth (1927) for the most first-inning homers in club history.

The MLB record is held by Alex Rodriguez, who went yard 18 times in the first inning in 2001 when he played for Texas.

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Yariel Rodriguez gave the Jays 4.2 innings, four more than his Baltimore outing. He didn’t like getting lifted and his body language clearly said as much.

LOS SANTOS SIZZLES

Luis De Los Santos made his big-league debut in Baltimore. Sunday in New York, he made his first start when he handled duties at third base.

His story is one of perseverance, having played nine seasons in the minors. De Los Santos looked like a seasoned veteran on the plays he handled at the hot corner.

Ernie Clement has played third, but he started at shortstop Sunday. He even hit leadoff for the first time and singled in his first two at-bats, including an RBI single in Toronto’s two-run second inning.

When play resumed following the rain delay, De Los Santos was asked to play first base with Addison Barger at third.

In an interesting twist, De Los Santos faced his namesake, New York reliever Enyel De Los Santos, with two outs in the ninth. Luis De Los Santos grounded out before Clement produced his third hit of the day.

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