David Bednar avoids meltdown after Yankees offense erupts late to rally past Blue Jays

After blowing Sunday’s Subway Series finale against the Mets, David Bednar found himself in another mess Monday in The Bronx against the Blue Jays.Called upon to protect a two-run lead in the ninth, the slumping Yankees closer nearly suffered another meltdown before he and the Yankees held on in a 7-6 win.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.

Ernie Clement led off with a walk against the closer, and Jesús Sánchez, hitting for Myles Straw, doubled down the right field line to make it a one-run game before Bednar whiffed Brandon Valenzuela.Yohendrick Piñango walked before Bednar somehow struck out George Springer and got Vladimir Guerrero Jr.to ground out to end it.It stopped the Yankees from falling a season-high four games back in the AL East and losing for the eighth time in 10 games.Their offense finally erupted against Toronto’s bullpen, as Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr.

both hit two-run homers in the bottom of the seventh, and the Yankees held on.It was a good way to start a key homestand against a pair of division rivals, with first-place Tampa Bay following the Blue Jays to the Stadium.And both homers had some drama.Bellinger’s hit the top of the wall in right-center and bounced into the Yankee bullpen, while Chisholm stood at the plate and watched as he sent an opposite-field shot down the left line that hit the foul pole for his fifth homer of the season.The Yankees got off to a fast start when Paul Goldschmidt hit his third leadoff homer of the season in the bottom of the first against lefty Patrick Corbin.Ben Rice followed with a booming double to left to set the Yankees up for a potential big inning, but Corbin rebounded to retire Aaron Judge, Bellinger and Amed Rosario to get out of it.The Yankees then had the bases loaded with two outs against Corbin in the second, but Rice grounded out to leave them 0-for-5 with runners in scoring po...