Blue Jays at Yankees
Masahiro Tanaka will look to follow up one of the best starts of his career when the New York Yankees continue their three-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. The Blue Jays opened the year with 11 losses in 13 games but have won a season-high three in a row following Monday's 7-1 thumping of New York.
Tanaka registered his second career shutout and first since his rookie year in beating bitter rival Boston in his last turn to boost his career record to 16-3 in the months of April and May. The Yankees lead the American League with 129 runs but have dropped two in a row for the first time since a three-game skid from April 5-8. Toronto entered the series ranked 26th in the majors with 22 homers, but Jose Bautista, Chris Coghlan and Ryan Goins all went deep Monday. Veteran Mat Latos gets the start Tuesday for the Blue Jays, who have permitted one run in each of the last three wins and are 11-5 in their last 16 versus New York.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, Sportsnet One (Toronto), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Mat Latos (0-0, 3.27 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (3-1, 4.20)
With two starters on the disabled list, Latos gets another chance to show he belongs in the rotation after a strong performance the last time out. The 29-year-old overcame four walks and held St. Louis to three hits over six scoreless innings after allowing four runs over five innings at the Los Angeles Angels in his season debut. Matt Holliday is 11-for-29 with eight RBIs against Latos.
Tanaka's ragged season debut, in which he was rocked for seven runs in 2 2/3 innings at Tampa Bay, is a distant memory in the wake of a three-start winning streak. The Japan native outdueled Boston's Chris Sale by yielding three hits and not walking a batter in his fifth career complete game. Goins, Justin Smoak, Russell Martin and Kendrys Morales have labored against Tanaka, going a combined 2-for-37.
WALK-OFFS
1. Bautista's homer was his 34th against the Yankees, the most among active players.
2. Yankees RF Aaron Judge is 6-for-13 with three homers, six RBIs and seven runs scored during a four-game hitting streak.
3. Goins broke out of an 0-for-13 slump with a homer and four RBIs - two coming on a sacrifice fly.