New York @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2016 ) NY Yankees 0, Toronto 3

The New York Yankees' offense has come to a complete halt, and the Toronto Blue Jays have taken advantage to inch closer to a wild-card spot. The Blue Jays will try to keep those trends alive when they continue a four-game series against the visiting Yankees on Sunday afternoon.

Behind seven scoreless innings from Marcus Stroman and a clutch three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning by Jose Bautista, Toronto picked up a 3-0 victory on Saturday after rolling to a 9-0 win in the series opener the night before. The back-to-back shutouts give the Blue Jays four wins in their last five contests and a relatively firm two-game hold on one of two American League wild-card spots. Bautista boasts six RBIs over his last three games and has reached base safely in a season-high 31 straight contests. The Yankees, who have been blanked in three straight outings for the first time since 1975, lost 10 of their last 13 contests and are 4 1/2 games behind Baltimore for the second wild card.

TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, TBS, YES (New York), TVA Sports, Sportsnet (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Michael Pineda (6-11, 4.89 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Marco Estrada (9-9, 3.62)

Pineda failed to complete five innings in his first three September starts before getting through 5 1/3 in a no-decision at Tampa Bay on Tuesday. He allowed two runs, struck out 11 and posted his ninth straight outing with two or fewer walks. One of those appearances resulted in five scoreless frames against Toronto on Aug. 16, which left the 27-year-old with a 3.25 ERA in 10 career starts versus the Blue Jays.

Estrada snapped out of a funk with seven scoreless innings in a win at Seattle on Monday, yielding one hit while fanning eight. He is 0-3 with a 9.24 ERA over his last three home starts and he was knocked around for five runs in four innings at New York opposite Pineda last month. Yankees phenom Gary Sanchez slugged a pair of homers in that one off Estrada, who is 3-2 with a 4.09 ERA in his career against the Bronx Bombers.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Yankees have lost seven straight at Toronto, tied for their longest road losing streak in series history.

2. Blue Jays DH Edwin Encarnacion has 42 home runs and needs one more to establish a career high.

3. New York 2B Starlin Castro (hamstring) took batting practice Saturday and remains day-to-day, while 3B Chase Headley (back) and 1B Mark Teixeira (neck) were held out of the starting lineup.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 5, Yankees 2