The Blue Jays built a 5-3 lead over the Yankees for most of seven innings but lost late after two two-run home runs gave New York a 7-5 advantage. The bullpen collapse erased a potential season-best win. The Blue Jays now trail in the series and sit at 21-25, but they are expected to respond quickly. Dylan Cease is central to that rebound, leading the American League in strikeouts and ranking near the top in baseball with a 2.41 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. His recent starts have been especially dominant, and he has improved against left-handed hitters, limiting their OPS and home runs, which is important in Yankee Stadium.
"The Blue Jays outplayed the New York Yankees for the better part of seven innings last night, built a 5-3 lead, and had a genuine chance to steal the first game of this series. Then the Yankees did what they do at Yankee Stadium, hitting a pair of two-run wall-scraping home runs late to create a 7-5 lead and holding on from there. Yariel Rodríguez's bullpen implosion erased what could have been one of the better wins of this season."
"Through nine starts, Cease leads the American League in strikeouts and sits second in all of baseball, with 75 punchouts on the year. His ERA is at 2.41 with a 1.18 WHIP, and he's holding opponents to a .214 batting average. His last three starts have been especially dominant: seven innings each, 26 strikeouts combined, and only four earned runs allowed. He has been the most consistent thing about this Blue Jays team, and an anchor on a roster that has spent much of the season searching for one."
"One of the keys to Cease's success has been his dramatically improved numbers against left-handed batters. Lefties posted a .735 OPS against him last season. This year, they've been held to a .550 OPS with zero home runs. That matters enormously in Yankee Stadium, where a lineup stacked with left-handed hitters can easily exploit the short porch in right field."
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