Yankees rally stalls, Gleyber Torres' defensive woes result in first series loss

All New York Yankees fans are doing now is rewinding back to Sunday to wish they could undo one stupid little thing to avoid the current mess the team is in right now. Two defensive blunders in extras. Nestor Cortes pitching carefree when he couldn't afford to. Getting careless on the base paths.

Because if Sunday's 8-7 extra-inning loss doesn't happen, the Yankees probably don't go dormant on the offensive side of the ball. They probably don't completely forget how to play baseball, which has promptly happened upon their arrival in Toronto.

New York lost its first series of the season on Tuesday night when they dropped their second straight game to the Blue Jays. They've scored five runs in two days, notching just 10 hits and four walks. Simply unacceptable, but nothing fans aren't accustomed to after witnessing what happened in 2021 and 2023.

The 5-4 loss on Tuesday nearly featured an epic comeback, though, as Alex Verdugo was a few feet away from a game-tying homer but settled for a double. With runners on second and third with one out, Jose Trevino recorded an RBI groundout to bring the Yanks within a run, but Oswaldo Cabrera grounded out to end the game.

Carlos Rodón was tormented by the Blue Jays constantly working counts and fouling off pitches (27 of them!), running his count up to 101 over just four innings. Anthony Volpe struck out four times. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton looked completely lost. Anthony Rizzo got robbed twice.

Yankees rally stalls, Gleyber Torres' defensive woes result in first series loss

Ugly. But what really changed the game was whatever Gleyber Torres decided to do in the sixth inning. Though he nearly made a brilliant play to get the lead runner at third, his decision-making on this grounder from Isiah Kiner-Falefa was a tad skeptical. You probably need to take the out here, especially if the runner got a head start on the crack of the bat.

After review, it was determined Oswaldo Cabrera didn't apply the tag, so everybody was safe. Runners on first and third, nobody out.

Torres probably would've been forgiven for trying to make a spectacular defensive play had he not done this a couple batters later. The Blue Jays called for a steal of second base. Jose Trevino made a nice throw and Torres couldn't secure it.

The bobble allowed a run to score and kept another Jays runner in scoring position. Another run would score on a single to make it 5-1.

The Yankees chipped away, and had one of these undeserving Blue Jays runs not have scored, we at the very least have a tie game in the top of the ninth after the mini rally. Or maybe not. But you'd like to think so.

Now the Yanks will have to avoid the sweep on Wednesday afternoon with Marcus Stroman on the mound against Kevin Gausman. Sunday's loss and John Sterling's ill-timed retirement have thrown a wrench in everything.

Take us back to Saturday.