TORONTO — The New York Yankees evened their series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon Authentic Ryan McLeod Jersey , but the availability of closer Aroldis Chapman for the rubber match Sunday was unknown.
Chapman struck out the first batter of the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday in the Yankees’ 8-5 victory at the Rogers Centre, but then left the mound with a recurrence of left knee tendinitis that he has dealt with for the past two months.
“I don’t think today was anything too extreme from what he’s been dealing with much of the year,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It was more me getting him out of there because of the score.”
He is considered day-to-day.
Chapman entered the game in the ninth with a four-run lead, a non-save situation.
“With a four-run lead, I didn’t want to take any chances with it,” Boone said. “He said he was fine to continue.”
Chasen Shreve replaced the left-hander and finished the game, allowing a home run to Aledmys Diaz.
The teams will go for the series win Sunday afternoon with the Yankees (57-29) sending out right-hander Domingo German (2-4, 5.37 ERA) and the Blue Jays (41-47) will start left-hander Ryan Borucki (0-1, 2.77).
The Yankees also lost center fielder Aaron Hicks to a cramp and hamstring tightness in his left leg in the fifth inning. Toronto reliever Rhiner Cruz left the game with a groin injury in the top of the ninth.
Hicks will be likely given Sunday off. No MRI has been done at this stage, so Boone hoped the day off would be enough.
“He feels like he’s OK,” Boone said.
Clint Frazier, who was called up from Triple-A, took over in left field when Hicks was removed with Brett Gardner moving from left to center.
In a twist to the game, the Yankees scored six runs and had four hits and six walks in 2 2/3 innings against Toronto left-hander J.A. Happ, a pitcher they could be interested in obtaining before the July 31 deadline for trades without waivers.
It was the second poor start in a row for Happ, who gave up seven runs in 5 2/3 innings to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
Happ said the rumors of a trade Authentic Evan Bouchard Jersey , possibly to the Yankees, did not influence his start.
“It really doesn’t change. I was ready to pitch. I was excited to pitch, I felt good,” Happ said. “I don’t know. I think you try to flush this one as best you can and it’s going to be a tough couple of days in between, but hopefully you bounce back.
“I don’t think these last two are really indicative of how I’ve pitched the last several years, so you try to flip the script as best as you can and just move forward.
“I’m just focused on playing for the Blue Jays right now. There’s rumors out there. You never know what’s speculation, what’s true, and what has any realistic chance. I’m just trying to play and pitch. I’m happy right here and we’ll see what happens.”
German will make his 17th appearance and 11th start of the year for the Yankees. He has faced Toronto twice in his career, both in relief, going 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA.
In German’s only outing against the Blue Jays this season, he allowed two runs, two hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Borucki will make his third career outing (all starts) when he pitches against the Yankees for the first time. He allowed two runs, six hits and no walks and had eight strikeouts Monday but did not factor in the decision against the Detroit Tigers.
The Yankees are 8-4 against the Blue Jays this season and 5-3 at the Rogers Centre. They last had five wins in Toronto in 2009 when they were 6-3.
The Blue Jays are 4-4 on a homestand that ends Sunday.
Interim general manager Marty Hurney insists the Carolina Panthers handled the medical treatment of quarterback Cam Newton ”the right way” during Sunday’s 31-26 playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints.
The NFL and NFL Players Association announced Monday they plan to conduct a joint review to determine if the Panthers followed the correct concussion protocol after Newton took a hard shot from Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata midway through the fourth quarter. If the concussion protocol was not properly followed the team is subject to discipline, including a $150,000 fine.
Newton spent time on the ground after the hit. Then, as he was walking toward the sideline Authentic John Tavares Jersey , appeared to stumble to one knee. He briefly pointed toward his right eye.
He sat out one play, but returned on the next offensive series and finished the game.
”He took a hit. But when he walked off and he told the trainers he got poked in the eye, then they did take him into the tent and checked him for a concussion, which he did not have,” Hurney said. ”And it was really getting poked in the eye.”
Hurney said Newton intentionally took a knee because he was told to by the team’s training staff so Carolina could get an official timeout, thus allowing backup quarterback Derek Anderson a chance to warm up. Anderson came in for one third down play and was nearly intercepted.
However, the question could become whether or not Newton should have been taken to the locker room for evaluations.
The league and the players union changed its concussion protocol last month after Houston Texans quarterback Tom Savage returned to the field after having a concussion that left the quarterback’s hands shaking after a hit.
The changes to the protocol include the requirement of a locker room concussion evaluation for all players ”demonstrating gross or sustained vertical instability (e.g., stumbling or falling to the ground when trying to stand.)”
Newton did not visit the locker room.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he is very confident that the protocol was followed correctly.
”Based on what the young man (Newton) said to me, that is what I believe happened,” Rivera said. ”And again, from that point on I don’t think anything else needs to be said about it.”
Newton said after the game Sunday that ”precautionary concussion protocol things” happened, but ”it wasn’t my head. It was my eye. My helmet had come down low enough over my eyelid and it got pressed by the player’s stomach.”
The Panthers were investigated once before in the 2016 season opener at Denver when Newton took a blow to the head but remained in the game.
It was later determined the Panthers handled that situation correctly and no fines were handed out.
The Seattle Seahawks were fined $100,000 in Week 10 after the league and union determined they failed to apply the concussion protocol properly after quarterback Russell Wilson took a blow to the head against the Arizona Cardinals.
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