MLB Postseason
TORONTO — It didn’t seem like things could get much better for the Toronto Blue Jays after a 10-1 win in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday. Somehow, they found new heights. The Jays blasted 13 runs on Sunday as rookie starter Trey Yesavage delivered 5 1/3 no-hit innings. The game was, essentially, over by the fifth, though the Yankees scratched back seven runs in the later innings. But it wasn’t close to enough as the Jays throttled the Yankees again, winning 13-7 in Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead to New York. Toronto can advance to the AL Championship Series, and eliminate the Yankees, with a win on Tuesday.
Yesavage first appeared on Blue Jays manager John Schneider’s radar in June. If Schneider met the young righty in spring, he doesn’t remember it. But when Yesavage earned his third minor-league promotion and started carving through Double-A lineups, Schneider began tracking his starts. The big leagues weren’t that far away, and he looked close.
But three months ago, Schneider couldn’t have imagined a start like Sunday’s. Two more promotions and three big-league outings later, Yesavage delivered one of the best postseason starts in Blue Jays history. The 22-year-old rookie threw 5 1/3 no-hit innings, recording more strikeouts than any Toronto pitcher in a playoff game (11).
