New York @ Toronto preview
Rogers Centre
Last Meeting ( Aug 4, 2010 ) Toronto 1, NY Yankees 5
The New York Yankees continue to set the pace in the AL East and two of their stars look to be leading candidates for the game's top postseason awards. Robinson Cano and CC Sabathia, who have been dominant all season, led the Bombers to a 10-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.
The Yankees visit the Rogers Centre Monday to begin a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays.
An American League MVP front-runner, Cano belted a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs in Sunday's rout. Cano has 25 home runs and 86 RBIs this season and has filled the void left by Alex Rodriguez's absence.
The Yankees improved to 12-0 on the season in games without A-Rod, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left calf on Saturday.
Cano broke open Sunday's game in the fifth inning off Seattle hurler Luke French. The Mainers walked Mark Teixeira intentionally and Cano hammered a pitch into the right field seats.
Sabathia did the rest.
One of the favorites for the AL Cy Young Award, Sabathia won his 15th straight decision at Yankee Stadium. The left-hander allowed three hits and no walks while fanning eight in six innings as the Yankees moved 30 games over .500 for the first time this season. New York has the best record in baseball.
New York will turn to untested right-hander Ivan Nova on Monday. Nova was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make the start as manager Joe Girardi wants to push back his entire rotation one day.
Nova has appeared in two major league games, pitching three scoreless innings. He was 12-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 23 starts in Triple-A.
Brandon Morrow starts for the Blue Jays, which lost the final two contests of a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox over the weekend.
Toronto hammered out 20 hits - including four home runs - in a 16-2 win over Boston on Friday, but lost in 11 innings on Saturday and was blanked by Clay Buchholz and the Red Sox on Sunday. Buchholz has not allowed an earned run in his last 23 2/3 innings.
Morrow has been brilliant at the Rogers Centre for the Blue Jays this season. He is 7-1 at home with a 2.83 ERA which includes a seven-inning outing against the Yankees. In that contest, he permitted just one run but didn't figure in the decision.
Morrow is 2-0 lifetime against New York and sixth in the American League this season with 153 strikeouts in 131 innings.