Ahead of arguably the most important series of the year for his team, Yankees manager Aaron Boone lauded the season the AL East-leading Blue Jays are having.

He called them a formidable team and this weekend's three-game set a formidable task.

The Yankees have been unable to crack Toronto all season long, and that didn’t change Friday night.

The Yankees, who entered the three-game set three games behind the Blue Jays for the AL East lead, produced a dismal performance in a 7-1 loss in front of 46,055 at a sold-out Yankee Stadium.

Rookie righthander Cam Schlittler lasted only 1 2/3 innings in his first true major-league dud and the Yankees were held to four hits and a run — on Giancarlo Stanton’s second-inning homer — in an eight-inning masterpiece by Kevin Gausman.

Gausman (9-10, 3.6

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