Blue Jays at Yankees
Mired in disastrous stretches, the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees will look for any shred of sustained momentum on Wednesday afternoon when the American League East rivals play the rubber match of their three-game series in the Bronx. Toronto snapped a five-game skid with just its third win in 12 outings in Tuesday afternoon's 4-1 triumph, sending New York to its 15th loss in 21 games.
Jose Bautista had an RBI single to highlight a three-hit performance and improved to 17-for-49 with seven runs scored in the last 12 games. While Bautista is heating up, teammate Josh Donaldson couldn't much be colder as the former AL MVP is 1-for-26 in his last eight contests and 2-for-21 versus Wednesday starter Michael Pineda. With the Home Run Derby on the horizon, Aaron Judge flexed his muscles with his majors-best 28th blast to give him five hits and three runs scored in his last three games. The 6-foot-7 Judge, who has reached base safely in 35 straight starts, is 13-for-34 with five homers, 12 RBIs and 12 runs scored versus Toronto this season.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, Sportsnet (Toronto), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Marco Estrada (4-6, 4.86 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Michael Pineda (8-4, 4.05)
Estrada is 0-4 with a 9.11 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in his last six games after allowing two runs on as many hits in 4 1/3 innings of a no-decision versus Boston on Friday. The 33-year-old permitted a career-high seven walks against the Red Sox and has issued 15 free passes in his last three outings. Estrada was blitzed for seven runs on nine hits - including two homers - in 3 2/3 innings in a 12-2 setback to the Yankees on June 1.
Pineda recorded his first win in over three weeks on Friday after yielding two unearned runs on seven hits in six innings of a 13-4 rout at Houston. The 28-year-old Dominican kept the ball in the park after surrendering three homers in his previous trip to the mound. Pineda is looking to avenge a difficult outing versus Toronto on June 2, when he was taken deep twice and allowed five runs on 10 hits in five innings of a 7-5 setback.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York C Gary Sanchez is 7-for-18 with three runs scored during his five-game hitting streak.
2. Toronto DH Kendrys Morales, who had a two-run single on Tuesday, didn't strike out in that contest after fanning 17 times in his previous eight games.
3. New York SS Didi Gregorius is 0-for-9 with four strikeouts in his last three contests and OF Jacoby Ellsbury is 1-for-11 and five strikeouts in that same stretch.