BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The slumping New York Yankees lost their fifth in a row Tuesday night and fell for the 15th time in 20 games, again failing to get clutch hits in a 2-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Hours after General Manager Brian Cashman tried to change his team's fortunes with a pregame address, the Yankees continued to struggle.
"I almost feel like it's embarrassing for us right now, especially with everything that's been going on," slugger Luke Voit said. "I feel like teams aren't really scared of us right now, and it's kind of a sad thing."
At 21-21, the Yankees are at .500 or worse in September for the first time since 1995.
"Tonight we saw a lot of good at-bats up and down the order," Manager Aaron Boone said. "Just weren't able to punch through. Close isn't good enough right now. We need to find a way to get it done."
The Yankees began the day tied with Houston for the last two spots in the expanded playoff field during the pandemic-shortened 60-game season.
"This team's too good to hold down for too long," New York infielder DJ LeMahieu said.
Jonathan Davis (University of Central Arkansas, Camden Fairview) homered off Yankees pitcher J.A. Happ in his first at-bat of the season as the Blue Jays won their third consecutive.
Making his first start of the season after being recalled from Toronto's alternate training site Monday, Davis connected for his first home run on a 2-2 pitch in the second. The outfielder had played parts of the last two seasons with the Blue Jays.
ROYALS 8, INDIANS 6 Maikel Franco drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and had an RBI single in the ninth as Kansas City beat Cleveland.
RANGERS 7, ANGELS 1 Lance Lynn (5-2) pitched 7 strong innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits with 6 strikeouts and 2 walks, and host Texas beat Los Angeles.
A'S 4-4, ASTROS 2-5 Khris Davis homered and hit an RBI double against previously unbeaten Zack Greinke as Oakland sent Houston to its sixth consecutive loss in the first game of a doubleheader. After falling behind 4-0 in the second game, the Astros tied the game with a four-run fourth inning and got the victory on Yuli Gurriel's sacrifice fly in the seventh that scored George Springer.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
MARLINS 8, BRAVES 0 Sixto Sanchez combined with four relievers on a four-hitter and Jorge Alfaro hit one of three home runs for visiting Miami in a victory over Atlanta.
CUBS 3, REDS 0 Alec Mills pitched six sharp innings, David Bote drove in two runs and Chicago beat visiting Cincinnati.
PADRES 14, ROCKIES 5 Host San Diego scored five runs in each of the first two innings, getting a grand slam from Wil Myers in the first and a three-run home run from Austin Nola in the second, as the Padres beat Colorado.
INTERLEAGUE
TWINS 7-4, CARDINALS 3-6 Matt Wieters hit 14 foul balls during a 19-pitch at-bat that finished with a flyout during a wild rally that sent host St. Louis over Minnesota for a doubleheader split. Josh Donaldson, Nelson Cruz and Miguel Sano hit home runs for the Twins in the first game.
PHILLIES 6-2, RED SOX 5-5 Bobby Dalbec hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to help Boston earn a doubleheader split in Philadelphia. Alec Bohm hit a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning to rally the Phillies in the opener.
NATIONALS 5, RAYS 3 Juan Soto finished 1 for 2 with 2 walks in his return from left elbow soreness as host Washington beat Tampa Bay.
TIGERS 8, BREWERS 3 Spencer Turnbull allowed three hits in six scoreless innings and Detroit broke the game open with five runs in the firth inning to beat visiting Milwaukee.
ORIOLES 11, METS 2 Rookie Ryan Mountcastle hit a two-run home run, Rio Ruiz added a three-run run shot as visiting Baltimore hit four home runs to cruise past New York.
PIRATES 5, WHITE SOX 4 Jason Martin scored the winning run on catcher Yasmani Grandal's error in the bottom of the ninth inning as host Pittsburgh rallied against Chicago.
