Yankees fans will love Blue Jays’ meltdown and Aaron Hicks’ 3-run double
![TORONTO, ON - MAY 03: Aaron Hicks #31 of the New York Yankees scores off a Aaron Judge #99 double in the seventh inning of their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on May 3, 2022 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fyanksgoyard-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2022-2F06-2F1398229040-850x560-a97e6955c86a1342e136514995a08414.jpg)
Heading into Saturday’s game between the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, starter Alek Manoah owned the Bombers across his first four career starts against them, going 2-0 with a 1.52 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 25 strikeouts in 23.2 innings.
But somehow, one of the worst Yankees lineups of the season broke him down by the fourth inning. Manoah has had his way with the most star-studded Yankees’ offensive configurations, but not this time around. Here’s what New York’s lineup looked like today:
- Matt Carpenter
- Aaron Judge
- Anthony Rizzo
- Gleyber Torres
- Joey Gallo
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa
- Aaron Hicks
- Jose Trevino
- Marwin Gonzalez
After five innings of work, Manoah allowed three earned runs on four hits and a walk as he was forced to throw 84 pitches after being worked in the count numerous times.
And clearly, that got in his head. Manoah’s setup in between pitches was interminable as he drastically slowed his delivery and lost control of his two-seam fastball in the fourth.
To make matters worse for the right-hander, it was Aaron Hicks who capped the damage with a three-run double with two outs.
Hicks hittin' through The 6. pic.twitter.com/oBuICAfBv7
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 18, 2022
The Blue Jays melted down in the fourth inning against the Yankees and it was hilarious
But that wasn’t all! Before Hicks arrived at the plate, a slow grounder off the bat of Kiner-Falefa forced an errant throw from shortstop Bo Bichette to keep the inning alive. Rizzo and Torres were taking big leads while they were on base, too, fully distracting Manoah from the task at hand.
Then, after Hicks’ clutch double, wild two-seam fastball from Manoah hit Trevino in the chest, but the young pitcher and Jays manager Charlie Montoyo lost their minds when the ump didn’t rule this a swing:
Alek Manoah and Charlie Montoyo have a legitimate beef here as umpires say Jose Trevino did not swing at this pitch that hit him pic.twitter.com/kFoYjMdhvo
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 18, 2022
Admittedly a bad call, but maybe throw strikes instead? To be that furious over a stumbling batter trying to avoid one of the worst pitches you’ll see all day just further goes to show your head’s in the wrong place (it wouldn’t have even resulted in an out). Montoyo got ejected, and Jameson Taillon has continued to handle business through the fifth inning on just 69 pitches.
Win or lose today, the Yankees have irritated the Jays with one of their worst lineups of 2022 against a pitcher who has owned them in his first two MLB seasons — a success regardless of the outcome. For now, we’ll enjoy the Jays’ meltdown and Montoyo hitting the showers early.
As if breaking Toronto’s spirit on Friday night wasn’t enough…