Jays fall to ‘young’ Yankees again

By Mike Fitzpatrick
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK–With a team full of 20-somethings, the N.Y. Yankees played like seasoned veterans.
Luis Severino pitched three-hit ball over seven innings as the youthful Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 yesterday even as prized prospect Gleyber Torres went 0-for-4 in his major-league debut.
The 21-year-old Torres, who stranded six runners, played second base and batted eighth in a Yankees’ lineup that didn’t include a player 30 or older for the first time in almost 30 years.
“We’ve worked really hard, long before I got here, at building this organization from the ground up and they’ve done a great job,” first-year manager Aaron Boone said.
“I feel like we’re in a position not only to be a really good team in the short-term, but in the long-term.”
Didi Gregorius homered, No. 9 batter Austin Romine laced a two-run double, and streaking rookie Miguel Andujar had a career-high four hits, including an RBI double, to help New York take three of four in the series from its AL East rival.
The 10 players who started for the Yankees, including Severino, averaged 26 years old–the youngest group they’ve fielded since Sept. 26, 1970, STATS said.
“It’s what everybody’s been talking about. We’ve got a lot of prospects in the minor-league system,” Gregorius noted.
“They’ve got a lot of energy.”
The last time the Yankees didn’t have a player age 30 or older in the lineup for an April game was 1942, according to STATS.
With veteran left-fielder Brett Gardner getting a rest, the eldest starter on the field was Romine, the team’s 29-year-old back-up catcher.
Romine said a buddy texted him about that before the game.
“I thought it was hilarious,” he said. “I was used to being the youngest guy.”
Teoscar Hernandez homered in the sixth off Severino (4-1), who struck out six and walked two.
The right-hander won for only the second time in nine outings against Toronto.
“That’s what an ace looks like when he’s not perfect,” Boone said.
David Robertson and Aroldis Chapman each worked a scoreless inning to finish the four-hitter.
Giancarlo Stanton made two tough catches in sunny left field.
Jaime Garcia (2-1) gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings for the Jays (13-8), who lost consecutive games for the first time since starting the season 0-2 at home against the Yankees.
Toronto had won its last five following a defeat.
The Jays went 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position over the final two games of the series, and were held to a single run in each.
“It was Severino’s day today. You build a lead for him, he’s probably going to shut it down, go late in the game,” noted Jays’ manager John Gibbons.
“It was no day at the beach.”
Garcia made his first start against New York. The lefty started eight games for the Yankees down the stretch last season, going 0-3 with a 4.82 ERA.
“I feel personally I didn’t get the job done today,” Garcia said. “I knew this was going to be a tough challenge. . . .
“Just three pitches pretty much that cost me the game.”
Andujar drove home a run in the sixth with his second double, giving him 10 extra-base hits in his last six games.
He also had two infield singles and finished 4-for-4 to raise his average to .308.
The 23-year-old Andujar became the youngest Yankees’ player to get four hits in a game since Melky Cabrera at 21 in 2006.
Elsewhere in the AL, Tampa Bay topped Minnesota 8-6, Cleveland beat Baltimore 7-3, Kansas City downed Detroit 8-5, Houston dumped Chicago 7-1, Texas upended Seattle 7-4, and Oakland took Boston 4-1.
Over in the NL, Philadelphia nipped Pittsburgh 3-2 (11 innings), Milwaukee beat Miami 4-2, St. Louis dumped Cincinnati 9-2, Chicago topped Colorado 9-7, Arizona doubled San Diego 4-2, and L.A. edged Washington 4-3.
New York at Atlanta was postponed.
San Francisco beat the L.A. Angels 4-2 in interleague play.