The Toronto Bue Jays busted their season-high six-game losing streak with a 6-2 win over the New York Yankees in Tuesday's series opener and will look to make it two in a row when the clubs meet at 4:05 p.m. to kick off a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.
New York was carved up by Toronto lefty Steven Matz and had its six-game winning streak snapped in the process in a game that Corey Kluber, who was fresh off a no-hitter, had to leave early because of shoulder tightness.
Can Toronto, which pumped out 13 hits in the win, keep the bats rolling in top prospect Alek Manoah's MLB debut? Find out with our best baseball betting picks and predictions for Blue Jays vs. Yankees on May 26 in the Bronx.
Blue Jays vs Yankees game info
• Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
• Date: Thursday, May 27, 2021
• Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
• TV: YES, SN1
Blue Jays vs Yankees odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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Blue Jays vs Yankees betting preview
Starting pitchers
Alek Manoah (MLB debut): The Blue Jays are throwing Manoah right into the fire, having him make his major league debut at Yankee Stadium. The big righty, despite a limited body of work in the minors, has forced the Blue Jays' hands by dominating with the club's Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons (allowing one run over three starts) and earning his designation as one of the club's top prospects. The 23-year-old is advanced for his age and struck out seven straight Yankees when he faced them in a spring training outing back in March.
Domingo German (4-2, 3.05 ERA): German, coming off a suspension that cost him the 2020 season for violating the league's domestic violence policy, has been a plus in the Yankees' rotation this year. The right-hander has a sparkling 5.3 strikeout-to-walk rate and 1.11 WHIP through eight outings, and New York has won each of his last six starts. He's coming off a season-high-tying seven-inning outing in which he held the Texas Rangers scoreless, issued no walks, and struck out five.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Blue Jays: George Springer OF (Out), Cavan Biggio 3B (Out), Ryan Borucki RP (Out), David Phelps RP (Out), Alejandro Kirk C (Out).
Yankees: Giancarlo Stanton OF (Questionable), Luke Voit 1B (Out), Aaron Hicks OF (Out), Zack Britton RP (Out), Darren O'Day RP (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 7-1 in the last eight meetings between Toronto and New York. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Yankees.
Moneyline pick
Manoah was an arm that was expected to move through the system fast and he did just that. Due to the COVID-canceled 2020 minor league season, the 2019 first-round pick has just 35 innings of professional experience under his belt.
It’s difficult to take much from that sample, but here’s what we do know: The 6-foot-6 right-hander dominated the lower levels, including his three starts at Triple-A (0.50 ERA, 0.56 WHIP, 13.5 K/9) ahead of his promotion. That’s after he impressed with 15 strikeouts in seven spring training innings, with two of those outings coming against these very same Yankees.
Manoah has a career 1.54 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and 6.75 strikeout-to-walk rate in the minors, flashing good control and exceptional strikeout ability thanks to a mid-90s heater and slider that can generate whiffs.
All eyes are on him as the story heading into this game, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Toronto’s potent offense shouldn’t be overlooked. Despite losing six straight before Tuesday's win, the Blue Jays still averaged five runs per game over the skid and have the sixth-best offense in the majors, per FanGraphs' weighted runs created plus, which adjusts for league and park factors.
While Manoah is unproven at the highest level and makes his debut on the grandest of stages, the value on a strong-hitting Blue Jays team that has scored at least six runs in six of its last nine games is simply too good to pass up.
PREDICTION: Toronto (+130)
Over/Under pick
Both teams are hobbled and will or could be without key pieces for this game. While the Blue Jays keep humming along without star offseason acquisition George Springer, the Yankees could really use some of their reinforcements back. New York, already down Aaron Hicks, was without two of its best bats for the series opener in Giancarlo Stanton (quad) and D.J. LeMahieu (paternity list) and the slugging Stanton isn't expected to return until Friday.
Luke Voit was slow to get going after missing nearly six weeks to start the season and is out once again, Clint Fraizer has been banged up and lousy, Gary Sanchez continues not to hit, Gleyber Torres is showing little power for the second straight year, and it all adds up to a Yankees offense that is big on name value but far from scary at the moment. Aaron Judge (.308/.409/.566 with 12 homers and a Top 10 wRC+ at 172) remains a force but any wise team will nibble the plate and pitch around him when possible.
New York is middle of the pack or worse in most power categories, 23rd in runs per game, and has the 11th-highest strikeout rate in baseball. Get past the fact that this is the Yankees and the game is being played in the Bronx and this actually isn't the worst matchup to break Manoah into the majors. And while Toronto's relievers have scuffled recently, the group has been solid as a whole.
The Blue Jays' offense, meanwhile, powered by Guerrero's MLB-leading WAR, OPS, and 16 homers, is sixth in runs per game and the club has three regulars with a wRC+ north of 140. Toronto is fourth in OPS and second in homers after clubbing three Tuesday, and German struggles with the long ball (particularly at home).
German has been good overall, allowing three runs or fewer in seven of his starts, including three in his last three over a span of 19 1-3 innings, to go along with a career-best K/BB rate. And he'll have a strong Yankees bullpen that has Top-5 marks in strikeout percentage, ERA, and WHIP backing him up.
Although the Yanks' weak offense and strong pitching have led to six consecutive Unders (and the most among AL team), the total for the seven-inning game is low enough for us to side with the Over thanks to Toronto's powerful bats.
PREDICTION: Over 7 (-110)
Blue Jays vs Yankees betting card
- Toronto (+130)
- Over 7 (-115)
Picks made on 5/27/2021 at 10:15 a.m. ET
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