Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 21st 2023
A week ago, the Toronto Blue Jays reached a low point in the midst of getting swept in a four-game home series against the Texas Rangers.
Now things are trending better for the Blue Jays, who hope to get some more clarity on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s right knee discomfort on Thursday before attempting to sweep the host New York Yankees.
Jacob Hoffman
Since being outscored 35-9 by Texas last week, Toronto has won five straight for the first time since winning a season-best six in a row in late April. The Blue Jays followed up a three-game home sweep of the Boston Red Sox by outscoring the Yankees 13-2 in the first two games.
After opening the series with a 7-1 win, the Blue Jays scratched Guerrero shortly before recording a 6-1 victory on Wednesday. Guerrero underwent an MRI exam shortly before Kevin Gausman struck out 10 in six scoreless innings and Bo Bichette had a pair of RBI singles for Toronto.
"Coming off the worst series of the year and then sweeping Boston and obviously coming here and winning the first two, it's been night and day demeanor-wise, clubhouse energy," Gausman said. "It's just we had a really bad four days and you could really feel that.
"So to have three really good days in a row after that was huge and kind of put all that on the backburner, and it's kind of like, 'Listen, what we did against those teams that we're chasing or that are chasing us, we have no say on them anymore.' "
Toronto is 17-8 in the Bronx since the start of the 2021 season, including a four-game sweep in September 2021. The Blue Jays (85-67) enter Thursday with a one-game lead over the Rangers (84-68) and Mariners (84-68) for the second of three American League wild cards. Texas and Seattle are idle Thursday before starting a three-game, head-to-head series on Friday in Arlington, Texas.
New York (76-76) is riding a three-game losing streak. Since winning 14 of 19 games, the Yankees have scored just four runs in the past three contests. On Wednesday, they were held to one run or fewer for the 28th time, and they have struck out 26 times over the first two games of the series.
Gerrit Cole (13-4, 2.81 ERA) will make his final home start of the season on Thursday as he attempts to enhance his AL Cy Young Award credentials. Cole is coming off consecutive no-decisions. He allowed two runs in five innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday after tossing seven scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 10.
"I know he's had an awesome year and I would imagine clearly the front-runner," New York manager Aaron Boone said of Cole's Cy Young candidacy.
Since allowing six runs in four innings on Aug. 19 against the Boston Red Sox, Cole is 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA over his past five starts. He has allowed two runs or fewer in 24 starts this year, joining Jack Chesbro (28 in 1904) and Ron Guidry (26 in 1978) as the only pitchers in team history to allow two runs or fewer in at least 24 starts during a season.
Cole is 6-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 14 career starts against Toronto. In two no-decisions against them this year on April 22 and May 17, the right-hander pitched 11 2/3 scoreless innings.
Jose Berrios (11-10, 3.49 ERA) will get the ball for Toronto, attempting to match his win total from last season, when he posted a 5.23 ERA. Berrios will look to win a third straight start for the first time this year after allowing a combined two runs on 10 hits and two walks with 15 strikeouts in 14 innings against the Kansas City Royals and Boston.
Berrios is 3-5 with a 5.01 ERA in 10 career starts against the Yankees. He lost to New York on May 18 after giving up three runs in 6 2/3 innings.
--Field Level Media
Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees Recap APR 23TH 2023
Pinch hitter DJ LeMahieu singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the New York Yankees defeated the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 Saturday afternoon.
The Yankees took the lead on Anthony Volpe's two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Pinch hitter Danny Jansen tied the game with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth.
Anthony Rizzo led off the bottom of the ninth with a double against Jordan Romano (2-1). Pinch runner Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached third on an infield single by Gleyber Torres. Willie Calhoun walked to load the bases and LeMahieu singled to left, scoring Rizzo.
The teams have split the first two games of the three-game series.
Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole allowed four hits and two walks in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out four and hit a batter.
Toronto right-hander Alek Manoah limited New York to two hits and one walk while striking out five in seven scoreless innings.
Cole survived a single and a double to start the first and a leadoff double and a hit batter in the second. Cole's 0-2 pitch hit second baseman Santiago Espinal on the wrist. Espinal was replaced by Cavan Biggio. The initial diagnosis on Espinal was a bruised wrist.
Cole retired nine in a row before a two-walk in the fifth that was erased on a caught stealing.
Ron Marinaccio replaced Cole after a single and a walk with two outs in the sixth. He pitched around a stolen base and a walk before ending the threat on a flyout.
Marinaccio retired the first two batters in the seventh before being replaced by Clay Holmes, who ended the inning with a strikeout.
Bo Bichette led off the eighth with a double against Holmes. With two outs, Wandy Peralta replaced Holmes and ended the inning on a groundout.
Yimi Garcia replaced Manoah in the eighth and allowed Oswald Peraza's two-out single and Volpe's second home run of the season.
Peralta walked Alejandro Kirk to start the ninth and allowed Jansen's first homer of the season. After a one-out single, Jimmy Cordero (1-0) replaced Peralta to finish the inning with a double-play grounder.
--Field Level Media