TORONTO — George Springer slammed his bat to the ground then screamed while lifting his arms up and down as he headed back to the home dugout. After rushing down the steps, Springer slammed his helmet several times into the bat shelf in what was a rare display of heightened emotion from the veteran.

He’d just struck out to end the second inning and the scene of a livid Springer underscored the importance of Tuesday’s game at Rogers Centre. October baseball is just days away and the stakes are so very high.

The Toronto Blue Jays threatened during that pivotal second frame but couldn’t score in what turned out to be a 4-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox in front of an amped up 42,927 crowd that added to the feeling of a post-season atmosphere inside the dome.

The Yankees staged a ninth-inning

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