Toronto @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2019 ) Toronto 4, NY Yankees 3

The New York Yankees breezed to the American League East title despite setting a record for most players in a season on the injured list -- and now another key player is ailing. Gleyber Torres exited Friday's 4-3 loss and likely will be unavailable when New York attempts to avoid its first home series loss since April when it hosts the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon.

The team leader with 38 homers, Torres was removed from the series opener after feeling weakness in his lower legs in the loss that dropped the Yankees 1 1/2 games behind Houston for the AL's best record. Aaron Judge and Tyler Wade homered to push the season total to 294 for New York, which is 19-0-3 in its last 22 home series since dropping two of three to the Chicago White Sox from April 12-14. Justin Smoak clubbed a go-ahead two-run homer Friday as Toronto earned its fifth straight victory to match its longest winning streak of the season. Rookie third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has four straight two-hit games and has hit safely in five in a row, but he is 1-for-6 against Yankees left-hander James Paxton, who looks to win his 10th consecutive start.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH T.J. Zeuch (1-0, 4.61 ERA) vs. Yankees LH James Paxton (14-6, 3.88)

Zeuch notched his first career win in his third major league appearance against the Yankees last weekend and now will have the opportunity to beat them twice in a span of seven days. The 6-foot-7 sinkerballer worked a career-high 5 1/3 innings and held the Yankees to three runs (two earned) and five hits while not surrendering a home run. Zeuch, who tossed a no-hitter for Triple-A Buffalo last month, followed up a four-inning relief appearance in his debut with Toronto by giving up three runs in 4 1/3 innings versus Boston.

Paxton was knocked around for 10 runs and 14 hits over nine innings in his first two starts against the Blue Jays this season, but he earned some redemption in Toronto last weekend by yielding one run and three hits in five innings to improve to 9-0 with a 2.50 ERA since Aug. 2. The 30-year-old Canadian has permitted only five runs and 14 hits spanning 30 1/3 innings over his last five turns. Rookie Cavan Biggio is 3-for-3 against Paxton, who is 6-3 with a 3.63 ERA at Yankee Stadium in 2019.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees RHP Domingo German, placed on administrative leave under the league's domestic violence policy, is done for the year.

2. Blue Jays rookie SS Bo Bichette is in the concussion protocol and is expected to sit out the series.

3. Yankees 2B DJ LeMahieu collected his 190th hit Friday, the most by a Yankee since Robinson Cano had that many in 2013.

PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Blue Jays 2