Blue Jays vs. Yankees Series preview
Yankees realistically out of race but remain the Bronx Bombers
Starting Pitchers:
Tuesday (7:07 p.m.) – LH Yusei Kikuchi (9-6, 3.81) vs. RH Clarke Schmidt (9-8, 4.56)
Wednesday (7:07 p.m.) – RH Kevin Gausman (11-9, 3.40) vs. RH Michael King (4-6, 2.77)
Thursday (7:07 p.m.) – RH Jose Berrios (11-10, 3.49) vs. RH Gerrit Cole (13-4, 2.81)
Yankees (76-73): The Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman long ago seemed to come to terms with reality, throwing in the towel in terms of post-season, nevertheless, the Yankees are still not a team against which the Jays would choose to play six of their final 12 games. They, first and foremost, remain the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees are coming off a sweep of the Pirates at PNC Park.
The Yankees pitching staff has been decimated by injuries. There are currently 11 roster pitchers out with injury, that includes 259.2 innings and 12 wins. The everyday batting order features four familiar names at the top, but on many days there are rookies from 5-9. The only first-year Yankee who has been able to establish himself in any way is SS Anthony Volpe, a rare Yankees 20HR/20SB rookie. RF Aaron Judge has returned after missing significant time from kicking the concrete base of a bullpen gate at Dodger Stadium. Over a full season, Judge would be on a 54-homer pace but he’s only played 96 games. Navigate through Judge, DH Giancarlo Stanton, 2B Gleyber Torres and 1B DJ LeMaheu and the Jays’ pitching staff should be okay.
Blue Jays (82-67): The Jays are 3-4 vs. the Yankees this year. The Jays are 8-3 vs. the AL East since Aug. 2. To be sure, it’s not easy playing the Yankees in New York, no matter how poorly the home team is playing. I remember at one point in 2017, the Jays had lost six of their previous seven games in the Bronx, dating back to 2016, and in order to try and change the mojo, MGR John Gibbons forbade his team from taking pre-game batting practice on the field. The reason for that move, in his mind, was the intimidating and constant assault to the senses, watching highlights of Yankee history while taking visitors BP. Normally it was the late, great Bob Shepard’s nasally voice-overs of Yankee championships through the years that would certainly make any visiting franchise feel inferior. The Bronx gets into your head if you allow it.
Back to the present, the Jays rebounded with a sweep of the Red Sox, following the dismal sweep by the Rangers at Rogers Centre in which the home side looked and played like a minor-league squad. The offence continued to struggle, even in their improbable sweep of the Red Sox, but it was the pitching and several serendipitous breaks that intervened, contributing to the final two wins, both in walk-off fashion when they could easily have been losses.
The necessary Blue Jays leadership down the stretch, on both sides of the ball, has started to come from 1B Vlad Guerrero Jr. with contributions from 3B Matt Chapman, UT Whit Merrifield among others. The giddy euphoria inspired by the presence of the Buffalo Boys has worn off a little bit. 2B Davis Schneider is still seeing a lot of pitches and is still offering up good at bats, but the bottom line is he is hitless in his last 17 at-bats and since his hall-worthy debut at Fenway Park in August, is batting .247, with six homers, 18 walks and 33 strikeouts in 79 games.
Blue Jays remaining Schedule (12): @ New York (3), @ Tampa Bay (3), vs. New York (3), vs. Tampa Bay (3).
AL Magic Numbers for Wild-Card … Note Texas and Seattle own the tiebreaker vs. Blue Jays; Jays own the tiebreaker vs. Astros. Figuring out a three-way tie for WC-2 … well, you’re on your own.
NOTE: The magic number is a combination of Jays wins and opponent losses needed to clinch:
Jays vs. Astros: Magic number 13
Jays vs. Rangers: Magic number 13
Jays vs. Mariners: Magic number 12
Rays to clinch vs. Blue Jays: Magic number 3
Orioles to clinch vs. Blue Jays: Magic number 2