New York @ Toronto preview
Rogers Centre
Last Meeting ( Apr 1, 2010 ) NY Yankees 5, Toronto 2
The New York Yankees expected to be in the mix for top spot in the American League East.
Tonight, they open a pivotal weekend series against a surprise challenger to the division crown.
The defending World Series champions carry a five-game winning streak into the opener of a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. The teams are facing off for the first time in 2010; the Yankees won 12 of 18 meetings last season.
Few are surprised to see the Yankees contending for the division lead. A recent hot spell has solidified their hold on the AL wild-card spot, and they sit just two games back of the major league-leading Tampa Bay Rays for top spot in the East.
The Yankees are coming off an impressive three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles, capped by a 6-3 victory Thursday. Alex Rodriguez and Brett Gardner had homers for the Yankees while CC Sabathia went seven strong innings to earn his first win since May 3.
Veteran right-hander A.J. Burnett (6-2) gets the call for New York and should expect a rude welcome in his return to Toronto. After bolting the Blue Jays as a free agent prior to the 2009 season, Burnett was lustily booed in his first game back at the Rogers Centre nearly 13 months ago.
Burnett has won two straight decisions, but a third might not come easily against a Toronto offense that has vaulted the team into surprise contention in the East. The Jays have launched a league-best 91 home runs - including a team-record 54 in May - and also lead the league in extra-base hits.
The Jays are coming off a difficult series against Tampa, as they dropped two of three to the Rays on a pair of ninth-inning collapses. Toronto closer Kevin Gregg issued five walks to blow a lead in Tuesday's 7-6 loss, while the Rays exploded for six runs in the ninth inning of a 7-3 win one night later.
Despite the back-to-back losses, the Jays remain in the mix in the ultra-competitive AL East, 6 1-2 games behind the Rays. That might not be the case by month's end, however, as Toronto is in the midst of playing eight consecutive series against teams with winning records.
Toronto sends impressive right-hander Brett Cecil (5-2) to the mound against the powerhouse Yankees. Cecil has gone 3-0 with a 1.66 ERA over his past three starts, including eight innings of two-run ball against the Orioles in his last outing.
As it does most seasons, a visit from the Yankees will likely help boost Toronto's sagging attendance numbers. Despite spending most of the season above .500, the Jays remain second-to-last in the major leagues in attendance, drawing fewer than 16,000 fans per game.