NEW YORK — Gerrit Cole couldn’t stop the Yankees’ slide. The staff ace took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and like everything else around this team right now, it just unraveled. The Yankees’ lifeless offense could not get them back into it as the Blue Jays beat them, 5-2, to clinch the series at Yankee Stadium this weekend.
It was the third straight loss for the Yankees (73-48) and their 14th loss in their last 17 games. The Blue Jays (65-54) clinched the four-game series, handing the Yankees their sixth series loss in a row. The Yankees lost three series total in the first half. The Blue Jays cut the Yankees’ lead in the American League East to seven games. The Yankees led by 15.5 games on July 8.
Cole allowed four runs on five hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out five. Cole went heavy with his fastball and his slider again, getting a combined 12 swings and misses with those two pitches.
