Toronto @ New York preview
Yankee Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jul 26, 2014 ) Toronto 6, NY Yankees 4
With the business of ending their road woes in New York out of the way, the Toronto Blue Jays look for their first series win in Yankee Stadium since Aug. 27-29, 2012, on Sunday when the division rivals meet in the rubber match of a three-game set. Toronto halted a 17-game road slide against the Yankees with Saturday’s 6-4 victory, stopping the second-longest road skid to one team in club history. The streak was also the fourth-longest such run in the majors since divisional play began in 1969.
The rare win in New York allowed the Blue Jays (55-50) to move back into a virtual tie for second place in the American League East with the Yankees (54-49), three games behind the Baltimore Orioles. Even with the setback, New York is 7-2 as it concludes its 10-game homestand following the All-Star break and should have a good chance at improving its second-half mark over the next week. After wrapping up this series, the Yankees hit the road for six games against the league-worst Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox, who reside in the AL East basement.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, TBS, SNET-1 (Toronto), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH J.A. Happ (8-5, 4.55 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Shane Greene (2-1, 2.79)
Happ posted his first win in four outings – including one relief appearance – after scattering seven hits over six scoreless frames in Tuesday’s 7-3 victory over the Red Sox. The 31-year-old Northwestern product has been solid at home in nine appearances (eight starts) in 2014, going 4-3 with a 3.42 ERA, but owns a 6.27 ERA on the road. Happ is winless in his last four turns against the Yankees (0-2 with a 5.09 ERA), but is 2-2 with a 5.22 ERA in seven all-time starts against them.
Pitching in Yankee Stadium for the first time in four major-league appearances, Greene committed three of his team's five errors while absorbing his first loss in 4-2 setback against the Texas Rangers on Monday. The former 15th-round selection gave up four runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings, failing to make it through six frames or log a quality start for the first time in three tries. Greene, who is allowing opponents to bat only .181 against him, will face the Blue Jays for the first time in his career.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York SS Derek Jeter, who is 6-for-11 with two homers against Happ, is three hits shy of tying Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski (3,419) for seventh on the all-time list.
2. Toronto has given up a league-high 13 home runs since the All-Star break.
3. Eight of the Yankees’ nine games since the Midsummer Classic have been decided by two runs or fewer, while each of their last five victories have occurred in comeback fashion.
PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Blue Jays 4