Toronto @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 14, 2016 ) NY Yankees 2, Toronto 4

Just as the New York Yankees were being written off as contenders, they have roared back with a vengeance and will take a five-game winning streak into the start of a three-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. Nathan Eovaldi, who has won three straight starts and is 4-0 in his last five trips to the mound, gets the nod in the opener for the Yankees.

"We just needed to play better baseball," New York catcher Brian McCann said after the team completed a four-game sweep in Oakland. "We needed better situational hitting, better defense, better pitching. We're getting that. We're happy where we're at." Carlos Beltran sparked New York's offense in the sweep of Oakland, going 9-for-18 with a homer and eight RBIs, but he is only 7-for-35 against Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who will oppose Eovaldi in the series opener. After dropping five in a row and getting ambushed at home by American League East rival Tampa Bay, Toronto bounced back by winning three of four in Minnesota. Jose Bautista, elevated to the leadoff spot, has homered in three consecutive games for the Blue Jays.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, RSN1 (Toronto), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (2-5, 4.50 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 4.44)

Dickey's string of solid performances came to a screeching halt in his last start against Tampa Bay, when he served up three homers and was charged with five runs on eight hits over six innings. That came on the heels of eight scoreless innings of three-hit ball against Texas and snapped a three-start streak in which he permitted three earned runs over 21 1/3 innings. Dickey is 7-4 with a 2.60 ERA in 20 appearances (14 starts) versus New York.

Eovaldi notched his fourth victory in a row with six superb innings at Arizona, yielding only one hit and one run while not walking a batter for the second time in three turns. The 26-year-old Texas native has permitted six runs over 19 innings in last three outings to remain unbeaten since a loss against Oakland on April 20. Eovaldi also came out on the short end of a 4-2 decision at Toronto on April 14, allowing all the runs on a pair of homers.

WALK-OFFS

1. New York is trying to win six games in a row for the first time since June 2015.

2. Blue Jays 3B Josh Donaldson homered twice in the last three games and had a three-run blast versus Eovaldi last month.

3. Yankees LHP Aroldis Chapman has converted all six save opportunities.

PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Blue Jays 3