Blue Jays broadcaster blasts Yankees after Bronx squad's bullpen collapse in Tigers rout
Buck Martinez called the Yankees 'not a good team' as New York suffered a 12-2 loss to Detroit and Toronto staged a late comeback
Blue Jays television analyst Buck Martinez bluntly declared the New York Yankees "not a good team" on Tuesday, drawing attention as the Yankees were routed 12-2 by the Detroit Tigers while Toronto completed a late comeback in its own contest.
Martinez made the comment during the top of the seventh inning while calling the Blue Jays' comeback against the Houston Astros at Rogers Centre. "You know, the Yankees — they're not a good team," Martinez said. "I don't care what their record is. They have a lot of wild pitches, they make a lot of mistakes in the field, they don't run the bases very well. If they don't hit home runs, they don't have a chance to win."
The Yankees' loss to Detroit on Tuesday followed a weekend in which New York had taken two of three games from Toronto, narrowing a division gap. Entering the weekend the Yankees trailed the Blue Jays by three games; after the Sunday victory they pulled within two. Toronto's late-inning rally on Tuesday, however, restored a three-game lead in the American League East.
The Tigers' win was marked by a seventh-inning bullpen collapse that yielded seven runs. Yankees manager Aaron Boone addressed the meltdown after the game, saying, "Tonight's a tough night, but it doesn't change a lot of the good things that have happened in some of these games we've been able to close out." Boone removed reliever Mark Leiter Jr. in the seventh amid the surge.
Statistical comparisons partly reflect Martinez's criticisms. The Yankees have logged 47 wild pitches this season, compared with 29 by the Blue Jays. Defensively, New York has committed 82 errors through the season, a figure only slightly higher than Toronto's 81.
On the other side of town at Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays rallied from a two-run deficit to tie the game in the ninth inning on a two-run single by former Yankee Isiah Kiner-Falefa. In extra innings, catcher Tyler Heineman produced a run on a fielder's choice that ended the game and handed Toronto a walk-off victory.
Martinez's remarks drew attention not only because of the timing — simultaneous with New York's lopsided loss — but because they came from a longtime Blue Jays voice who has been outspoken during broadcasts. The analyst pointed to fundamentals beyond hitting as problems for the Yankees this year, highlighting fielding miscues and base-running as concerns even as New York's offense has produced home runs.
The Yankees' recent slide in fundamentals comes as teams jockey for positioning late in the regular season. With both clubs trading wins and losses in a tightly contested division, individual games and bullpen performances have carried outsized importance for playoff positioning. Boone's roster decisions and the bullpen's reliability will remain focal points as New York attempts to close the gap in the standings.
Toronto's win provided an immediate lift in the division race, but questions remain for both teams. The Blue Jays' ability to win close games was showcased in the walk-off, while the Yankees must address late-inning pitching and defensive lapses that have surfaced at inopportune moments.
Neither Martinez nor Yankees officials offered extended follow-up comment beyond the game-night statements. The teams resume divisional play with several key matchups still on the calendar, and how each club responds to recent fluctuations will shape the stretch run toward October.