Toronto @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 25, 2014 ) NY Yankees 5, Toronto 3

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays each find themselves on a roll as they get set for a critical three-game series in the Bronx beginning Friday. The Blue Jays bounced back from a rough stretch by taking the final three of a four-game set from the Boston Red Sox this week while the Yankees turned the same trick against the Texas Rangers. The two American League East rivals enter the weekend in a virtual tie for second place in the division.

New York continues to add pieces to its roster and is getting strong contributions from the likes of Chase Headley and Brandon McCarthy. Toronto and the Yankees are both dealing with key injuries but the Blue Jays found a way around that this week as Melky Cabrera, Ryan Goins and Juan Francisco stepped up to fill the gaps. The Blue Jays are losers of 16 straight games at Yankee Stadium, with the last victory coming on Aug. 29, 2012.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SNET (Toronto), My9 (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Mark Buehrle (10-6, 2.86 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Hiroki Kuroda (6-6, 3.88)

Buehrle began the season 10-1 in his first 12 outings and has since gone winless in his last eight turns. Poor run support can be blamed for some of that but the offense actually bailed out the veteran when he allowed five runs in six innings on Sunday and ended up without a decision. Buehrle is 0-1 in two starts against New York this season, yielding a total of seven runs in 12 2/3 innings.

Kuroda is the last man left standing from the Yankees’ opening day rotation and is coming off back-to-back quality starts. The Japan native surrendered an unearned run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings against Cincinnati on Sunday but was held out of the decision in a game New York went on to win 3-2. Kuroda picked up a win at Toronto on June 25, allowing three runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira (lat) missed the last four games and a decision will be made about whether to put him on the disabled list Friday.

2. Goins has recorded at least one hit, one RBI and one run scored in each of the three games played since returning from Triple-A Buffalo.

3. New York C Francisco Cervelli has hit safely in five straight games and owns three doubles in the last two.

PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Blue Jays 4