Tallet's control problems sink Jays

Starter issues three walks in decisive fifth inning

Jordan Bastian / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- The Blue Jays arrived at the new Yankee Stadium for the first time on Friday, but despite all the amenities and luxurious upgrades, the ballpark in the Bronx had an all-too-familiar feel.

It was still loud. It was still intimidating. And after Blue Jays were dealt a 4-2 loss by the Yankees in a game that left-hander Brian Tallet described as a "heartbreaker," the fans still sang their way to the exits while the stadium speakers belted out Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York."

"They spent a billion dollars to build the same ballpark," Tallet said sarcastically. "That's what we've been saying all year. This is the first time we've seen it. The clubhouse is nice and all that, but the surrounding atmosphere is still the same. It's still Yankee Stadium."

One thing about Yankee Stadium -- old or new -- is that even the small things tend to be magnified. That certainly was the case for the Blue Jays (42-39) in their latest loss, which dropped them to 1-3 against the Yankees and 7-12 against the American League East this season. Adding to Toronto's frustration was the fact that former Blue Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett was the one in the win column for New York.

Tallet turned in a decent six-inning performance for Toronto, but his command issues in the fifth inning created too much damage for the Jays to overcome. Vernon Wells launched a home run in his first game since being dropped to sixth in the lineup, but the center fielder came up empty twice with runners in scoring position.

It was a combination of little missteps like those that proved costly against the Yankees (46-33)

The contest's turning point came in the fifth inning, when Tallet worked New York's Brett Gardner -- the No. 9 hitter -- into a 3-2 count before issuing a leadoff walk. The free pass came with the Blue Jays and Yankees caught in a 1-1 deadlock, and it was the last thing Tallet wanted to do to open the frame.