NORTHERN EXPOSED: Alex Rodriguez grimaces after striking out to set back another fruitless Yankees’ rally in the seventh inning of yesterday’s 3-2 loss in Toronto. (NY Post: Charles Wenzelberg)
TORONTO — Given multiple chances to take control of a very important game the Yankees did what they have done far too many times this year: failed to hit in the clutch.
Little did the Yankees know when they scored two runs in the opening inning against struggling lefty Ricky Romero it would be the last time they dented home plate.
“It wasn’t a good game for us,’’ Andy Pettitte said of the 3-2 loss to the lowly Blue Jays in front of an announced Rogers Centre crowd of 36,139. “When you see the center fielder’s number all game it’s not a good game for the pitcher. We could have added [runs] on. We need to play good.’’
The loss, coupled with the Orioles’ 4-3 win over the Red Sox, dropped the Yankees back into a tie for the AL East lead with four games remaining.
The Yankees’ magic number remained at five. Their magic number to clinch at least a wild card stayed at two when the Angels were rained out in Texas.
“We had to take advantage of the opportunities we had, and we didn’t,’’ said Girardi, whose lineup went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners. “We had a chance to blow the game open, and we didn’t. It’s not a good loss, but we will play better tomorrow.’’
That is a wish from Girardi because he isn’t in the guarantee business. Yet if the Yankees don’t deliver when given the chances, they are going home 1-3 against a poor club.
“It was a frustrating game because the guys gave me a lead and I wasn’t able to hold it,’’ said Pettitte, who allowed three runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings and was lifted after 94 pitches. “At this point in the season it’s frustrating.’’
Pettitte, who didn’t allow a run in his first two starts after coming off the disabled list, would be the Yankees’ starter if they face the Orioles in a playoff game in Baltimore on Thursday to see who wins the AL East.
Rajai Davis homered off Pettitte in the first to reduce the Yankees’ lead to 2-1. In the fifth, Alex Rodriguez fielded a slow roller by Davis that looked to be going foul but instead went for an RBI single that tied the score.
The Blue Jays took the lead in the sixth on Adeiny Hechavarria’s two-out double off Joba Chamberlain, but the run was built by a sacrifice bunt attempt by Yan Gomes that became a single when Robinson Cano, who was in double-play position near second, couldn’t get to first and take a throw from Nick Swisher.
In addition to the lack of clutch hitting, the Yankees were victimized by lefty Aaron Loup catching Ichiro Suzuki attempting to swipe third in the seventh. Second-base umpire Tim Welke wrongly called pinch-runner Brett Gardner out trying to steal second in the eighth.
The Yankees had a final chance in the ninth when Ichiro (3-for-5) reached on a two-out infield single, but Rodriguez lofted the first pitch from Jason Frasor to center for the 27th out.
“It’s tough — we had plenty of chances,’’ said Rodriguez, who went 0-for-3 and is in a 2-for-24 (.083) slide.
Swisher said, “[Today’s] a must-win. We put ourselves in this situation. We’ve got our destiny in our own hands and we’ve got to take it.’’