TORONTO — Chase Whitley turned a one-run lead over to the Yankees’ vaunted bullpen after seven shutout innings. Unfortunately for the right-hander Chris Martin was on the receiving end and not Dellin Betances.
With Andrew Miller getting Monday night off after entering pitch-count hell Sunday night in Boston, manager Joe Girardi was looking for two outs from Martin and then bring in Betances for a four-out save.
Consecutive one-out singles by Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista were enough for Girardi who summoned Betances to face Edwin Encarnacion.
“I will take chances with this bullpen any day of the week,’’ said Whitley, who was very impressive in his second start of the season.
However, Encarnacion blooped a breaking ball down the left-field line that tied the score. With two outs, Betances watched third baseman Chase Headley make a diving stop of Russell Martin’s grounder toward the line.
Headley jumped to his feet, but a one-hop throw across the diamond wasn’t scooped by first baseman Garrett Jones and two runs scored. Encarnacion, who was Betances’ responsibility, scored but Headley was charged with a throwing error so the run was unearned. Betances and Miller haven’t allowed an earned run this year.
“It was a pick I should have made and it’s upsetting I didn’t,’’ said Jones, who started at first because Girardi wanted to give Mark Teixeira a night off. Girardi could have inserted the sure-handed Teixeira for defense in the eighth, but stayed with Jones.
When Brett Cecil retired the Yankees in order in the ninth their three-game winning streak was over and R.A. Dickey had his fourth win in as many games over the Yankees at Rogers Centre.
“I didn’t know if I had a chance but I threw it right there,’’ Headley said of Martin’s base hit. “We almost had him.’’
Through seven innings Whitley matched zeroes with Dickey’s knuckleball, but Girardi figured 90 pitches was enough for the right-hander who threw 93 pitches in his previous start but never got to 90 in three Triple-A outings.
“I go until they pull me out,’’ said Whitley, who allowed six hits, didn’t issue a walk and whiffed six.
Whitley was at his best in the sixth after Devon Travis opened with a single and Donaldson doubled. With runners at second and third, Whitley retired Bautista on a grounder, struck out Encarnacion and popped up Kevin Pillar.
While Betances, who was saddled with his first blown save, and Miller have garnered most of the attention given to the Yankees’ pen, others have contributed and that includes Martin. But the singles by Donaldson and Bautista were killers.
“I like my chances coming in there, second and third and the pop out,’’ Betances said. “Chase Headley made a hell of a play. It’s unfortunate they scored a couple of runs to go ahead. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the job done.’’
With the way Whitley was throwing and Betances looming in the pen there was a good chance the run Dickey gave up in the seventh was going to be enough.
Carlos Beltran, who hit fourth for the first time this season, opened the inning with a loud double to right-center. When Headley drew a one-out walk there were runners at the corners for Jones. His grounder went off a diving Encarnacion’s glove but was fielded by second baseman Devon Travis and turned into an out at first that scored Beltran.
“It happens, we have been there. It has happened to us,’’ Girardi said of the tough-luck defeat. “We have to bounce back [Tuesday].’’