Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt is establishing an incredible new record. The hurler has the lowest ERA of any Major League pitcher against the New York Yankees through five career starts, per Sportsnet. Bassitt has a .82 earned run average against New York.
Bassitt accomplished that feat by throwing a gem of a game against New York on Saturday. The pitcher gave up no runs through six innings of work, as the Canadian team knocked off the Bronx Bombers 9-3. It was the best news the Toronto pitching staff has had in awhile, as the team recently parted ways with long-time reliever Tim Mayza.
Blue Jays pitching has been bad this year
Toronto has struggled on the mound this season. The team has been riddled with injuries. Alex Manoah is out for the year, and Jordan Romano is on the IL. Yimi Garcia is too, and both guys won't be back until early to mid July at the earliest.
The bullpen has also struggled. Mayza made his last appearance for Toronto on Friday, and got shellacked by Yankees batters. The team parted ways with the reliever, and brought in Jose Cuas to try and help out. Cuas got his first appearance for the team in Saturday's game, and gave up two runs in one inning of work. The bullpen clearly still has some struggles.
There is some good news, Blue Jays fans. Bassitt pitched a gem of a game, and he is a bright spot in the rotation. His 0.82 ERA against the Yankees, through five games, is a marvel. The previous record was 1.17 by Gaylord Perry, per Sportsnet. Toronto is fighting through a rough year, with a 38-44 record. The team lost out on signing Shohei Ohtani during the offseason. In a bad year, Bassitt is hopefully a bright light.
Bassitt's performance against the Yankees
The veteran pitcher is surely leading by example. He kept powering through Saturday's game, despite being hit by a ball from Yankees slugger Aaron Judge. Judge slashed a ball from home plate right into Bassitt's forearm. It was a 102 mile per hour pitch, per Sports Illustrated. Instead of walking away from the mound, Bassitt kept right on going. One could even see a large welt forming on his arm from the ball. Talk about toughness.
Bassitt has a 3.24 ERA this season, leading the team in that category. He is second on the club in innings pitched, with more than 97 innings of work. He has given up 35 earned runs this year, which is fewer than several other Blue Jays starters. The hurler is 7-6 on the season, with several more months of play to go.
The Blue Jays and Yankees meet up again on Sunday, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:35 Eastern. New York is now 53-32 following Saturday night's loss.
