The Blue Jays have won three straight series, including a tight in-division one over the weekend against the Red Sox. Their reward: Another in-division matchup, this time against the Yankees. (And then, after that, a repeat matchup with the Red Sox in Boston.)
Both the Jays and Yankees can lay claim to the hottest-team-in-the-division title, with seven wins each in the last 10. What’s more, they won’t see each other again until mid-August so banking wins now could help the victors’ secure a mental edge going forward.
Monday, May 30 – 7:07 p.m. ET
Marco Estrada vs. Ivan Nova
Tuesday, May 31 – 7:07 p.m. ET
J.A. Happ vs. CC Sabathia
Wednesday, June 1 – 7:07 p.m. ET
Aaron Sanchez vs. Masahiro Tanaka
Go long, Marco
Marco Estrada has only a 2-2 record in nine starts this season, but has gone at least six innings in all but one of them, and enters the Yankees’ series opener with a 2.76 ERA. His last outing was a seven-inning win versus the Yankees in New York, in which he gave up two homers and four walks but managed to allow only three runs. He also got some run support from his team, as the Jays piled eight runs on the Yankees’ staff, including four on starter Ivan Nova, Estrada’s game-one opponent.
Yankees’ weird weekend
The Bronx Bombers played three in Tampa this weekend, and managed just a .542 OPS—but won two of three. What’s stranger is they lost the only game in which they hit well. They managed four hits on Friday and scored four, and, incredibly, got two runs on one hit (a Starlin Castro homer) yesterday—and won both. Meanwhile, they scored five runs on 12 hits Saturday and lost 9–5.
Beltin’ Beltran
Last weekend, the Blue Jays had to deal with one ageless wonder in David Ortiz (40) and now they get another in Carlos Beltran (39). After a relatively slow April, Beltran has picked things up in May. So far this month he’s hit eight home runs—which moves him past the 400-homer threshold for his career—and that ties him for fourth in MLB in that span.
No Tulo, no problem (so far)
Since placing Troy Tulowitzki on the 15-DL with a quadriceps strain on Saturday, the Blue Jays have gotten fine offensive production out of the shortstop position. Darwin Barney went four for eight at the dish on Saturday and Sunday. That continues a trend of hot hitting at home for Barney, who’s hitting .408 in 51 plate appearances at Rogers Centre.
No rest for the wicked[ly awesome pitcher]
Well, not no rest, but when Masahiro Tanaka takes the mound on Wednesday it will be on only four days’ rest—a position the Yankees don’t like to put him in, and one he hasn’t thrived in thus far this season. It’s a small sample, but in the three games he’s pitched on four days he’s given up a .804 OPS with four home runs against. In five games on five days’ rest, he’s given up a .437 OPS with just a single dinger.
Home sinkers vs. road stinkers
Despite the 2–1 series win over the Red Sox this past weekend, the Blue Jays still have a losing record at home (11-14) while the Yankees have a losing record on the road (11-14). That said, the Jays have a 4-2 season-series edge on the Yanks after three games in each team’s building.