Yankees fall to rival Blue Jays in preseason matchup

The Yankees lost to their AL East rival Toronto Blue Jays 7–5 during a preseason game on Sunday, as starting pitcher Luis Gil gave up 4 runs in his first 3 innings on the mound.

The Bronx Bombers offense kept the game close, as shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a 2-run homer to left field in the top of the 1st inning, and infielder Josh Donaldson tacked on another 2-run shot in the 3rd.

Still, the Blue Jays kept pace, as Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Raimel Tapia, and Matt Chapman all recorded RBIs before the first 9 outs, to bring the score to 5–4, heading into the 4th inning.

Catcher Rob Brantly hit an RBI single to left field to tie the game at 5 in the 4th, but Yankees preseason-standout pitcher Clarke Schmidt gave up a 2-run homer to outfielder George Springer in the bottom of the 6th inning, which put the Canadian team up 7–5.

Heading into the game, Schmidt had given up only 2 runs over 2 games, in which he threw 5 innings and impressed Yankee brass as they scouted players to finalize their Opening Day roster.

The Yankees finished the preseason matchup with 8 hits, including 2 by Donaldson and 2 others by catcher Max McDowell.

Meanwhile, the Bronx Bombers gave up 11 total hits to the Blue Jays, and dropped to a 6–8 record in the preseason’s Grapefruit League.

The Yankees will play their opening day game in the Bronx on the afternoon of April 7 against the Boston Red Sox. The team is currently tied with Blue Jays or the second-best odds to win this season’s World Series trophy on DraftKings Sportsbook at +900 odds — meaning bettors would win $9 for every $1 wagered on the Yankees.