Toronto @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 15, 2018 ) Toronto 8, NY Yankees 7

Lance Lynn nearly pitched his way out of the New York Yankees' rotation but will be on the mound when his team plays the critical rubber match of a three-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. Lynn bounced back from a rocky stretch to spin six solid innings in a win at Seattle on Sept. 8, giving him plenty of rest and some momentum for this one.

He will be trying to eat up some innings after the Yankees' bullpen was forced to get through 6 2/3 innings in Saturday's 8-7 loss after starter CC Sabathia made a quick exit. New York is in danger of losing a second straight series, although its lead over the Oakland Athletics remained at 1 1/2 games in the race for the first wild-card spot in the American League. Didi Gregorius smacked a pair of home runs and Miguel Andujar added a grand slam for the Yankees, who have 240 homers on the season - tied with the 1961 squad for fifth-most in franchise history. Randal Grichuk had a pair of home runs for Toronto, which gives the ball to rookie left-hander Thomas Pannone on Sunday.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, OMNI Television, TVA (Toronto), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Thomas Pannone (2-1, 4.13 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Lance Lynn (9-10, 5.01)

Pannone allowed two runs over 6 1/3 innings to pick up the win against Cleveland last time out. His last road start was a clunker, as the Rhode Island native surrendered seven runs across 3 1/3 frames at Baltimore on Aug. 28. Pannone tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 19.

Prior to his solid outing at Seattle, Lynn had a four-start stretch in which he was 0-2 with a 9.16 ERA. The first of those four outings was against Toronto, which got to Lynn for five runs over four innings Aug. 17. The 31-year-old is 0-2 with a 6.88 ERA in four career matchups (three starts) against the Blue Jays.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays 1B Justin Smoak is batting .345 with 12 RBIs in 15 games against the Yankees this year.

2. Gregorius has four homers and eight RBIs over his last four contests.

3. New York needs one win to eclipse last year's total of 91.

PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Blue Jays 5