TORONTO _ The first two earned runs that Adam Ottavino gave up to an American League East opponent were big ones. The Yankees right-hander gave up a two-run triple to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the bottom of the seventh as the Blue Jays pulled out a 5-4 win at Rogers Centre Saturday.
It was the second straight loss for the Yankees (76-41), who had won nine straight before that. The Blue Jays (48-71) are looking to take their second series of the season from the Yankees on Sunday.
DJ LeMahieu drove in his team-leading 80th RBI with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly, Gio Urshela hit his fifth home run in four games and Gary Sanchez, in his first game back after missing the last 16 due to injury, homered in his second at-bat of the day.
The Yankees also suffered their first loss in a game in which they used an opener.
Chad Green was certainly not to blame, pitching a scoreless first with a strikeout. Stephen Tarpley, who went 2 1/3 innings, was charged with two runs for setting up Teoscar Hernandez's three-run homer off Chance Adams in the fourth. The two runs that Guerrero drove in were the first earned runs Ottavino had allowed since July 2.
Guerrero's groundball flew up the inside of the chalked first-base line and into right field. Ottavino reacted by putting his hands on his head in dismay as Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette darted around the bases to score the tying and then winning run.
Despite the loss on a bullpen day, the Yankees now have to seriously consider the opener as one of their best options for the playoffs.
Right now, they have no clear No.1 pitcher for the postseason. Domingo German is facing an innings limit, big-game pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has struggled to find his split-finger fastball all season and James Paxton has only just begun to put together consistent starts.
CC Sabathia, on the injured list for the third time this season with right knee inflammation, has been inconsistent enough to wonder where he fits on a Yankees playoff roster. J.A. Happ has been healthy but has struggled all season.
Their most reliable starts have come on their opener days, mostly from Chad Green.
"First, guys have performed for the most part. It seems like it's been Greeny a lot of those times. (Jonathan) Holder last time was good for us. Greeny has done very well in that role," Boone said. "The guys that have followed suit have held their own in the middle innings. I think if you go back and look, most of those games, our offense has really delivered as well."
After heavily investing in the backend of their bullpen this winter, and unable to reinforce the rotation at the MLB trade deadline, an opener could be the Yankees' best option for a Game 3 in an American League Division series.
Boone was not committing to it in early August.
"Sure. I think it could," Boone asked if it might be a possibility in October.
And while Green has been their go-to as a fill-in opener this season, the Bombers have reinforcements on the way. With Luis Severino's rehab from shoulder and lat injuries progressing this week, he could be a possible candidate to open down the stretch. Also, the Yankees could use it as a way to manage Domingo German's innings as he nears 150, which is believed to be his limit.
They could also use a veteran starter, like Happ, to be the bulk pitcher behind the starter. While Sabathia could be a candidate and a nice contrast behind one of those hard-throwing right-handers, the veteran lefty needs a set time to go through his routine to get ready to pitch. He would be unlikely to be used in that role, a Yankees source said.
Boone wouldn't rule it out for the postseason.
"We'll see. Not in the very near future, I don't see that at all, but as we get down the stretch and hopefully October, it kind of depends what our roster looks like," Boone said. "How much are Sevy and (Dellin) Betances a part of things? Then we'll explore what we think is the best way of helping us to win games."
