Achi news desk-
New York (AP) –
Pinch-hitter Ernie Clement hit a game-tying solo home run off Caleb Ferguson to lead off the seventh inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Yankees 3-0 on Friday in New York’s home opener.
Juan Soto went 0-for-4 with a pair of hits in his pinstripes debut, slamming his bat and helmet after making the final out of the eighth.
He bowed to the fans in right field in the top of the first and was greeted with applause when he came to the plate in the bottom half. Soto is on a 1-for-16 slide after a 9-for-17 start.
Marcus Stroman tied Yossi Kikuchi with a shutout before the bullpen took over.
Clement, a 28-year-old who had appeared in just 35 major league games the previous two seasons, drove the second pitch from Ferguson (0-1) into the left field seats for his first career homer.
Nick Burdy threw a pair of wild pitches that scored runs in the ninth, drawing boos from the sold-out crowd of 47,812.
Yaimi Garcia (1-0) got the final two outs of the sixth and Genesis Cabrera threw a two-hitter in his first appearance since serving a three-game suspension for causing a bench-clearing incident at Tampa Bay last weekend.
Chad Green picked up his first save since 2022 with the Yankees as Toronto pitched a six-hitter to begin the final stretch of a 10-game home opener.
After starting 6-1 on the road, New York dropped to 81-40-1 in home openers. The Yankees were shut out in a home opener for the first time since 1967.
Giancarlo Stanton was 0 for 4 and is hitting .120 (3 for 25) with 13 strikeouts.
An earthquake about three hours before game time was not felt by most of the Yankees on the field for batting practice.
Stroman allowed three hits in six innings. He has not allowed an earned run in 12 innings this season.
A day after playing catch in Central Park, Kikuchi gave up four hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Encouraged when he was introduced, Paul O’Neal drew boos when he threw a ceremonial first pitch to Don Mattingly, now Toronto’s bench coach, at a pair of former Yankees stars.
Toronto optioned the contract of right-hander Paulo Espino from Triple-A Buffalo and designated right-hander Wes Parsons for assignment.
Coach’s room
Blue Jays: CF Kevin Kiermaier was pulled from the lineup shortly before game time due to lower back tightness but came on as a defensive replacement in the eighth. … Closer Jordan Romano, in IL since March 25 with right elbow inflammation, had a bullpen session Thursday. … RHP Erik Swanson, in IL since March 25 with right forearm inflammation, practiced Thursday. … C Danny Jansen (broken right wrist March 13) caught Swanson. … RHP Alek Manoah (right shoulder inflammation) should throw about 65 pitches in Sunday’s game in Dunedin, Fla.
Yankees: RHP Jonathan Loáisiga was placed on the 60-day IL because of a strained right flexor muscle. RHP Danny Santana was brought up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and drove in a ninth in his Yankees debut.
the next
RHP Clark Schmidt (0-0, 5.06) started for the Yankees and RHP Kevin Gausman (0-0, 2.08) in a rare game Saturday night at Yankee Stadium.
