Yankees at Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays needed to prove something to themselves while showing the rest of baseball that the New York Yankees aren't invincible after all. The Blue Jays finally were able to muster up some offense in their third game of the season and have a chance to earn a split of a four-game set against the visiting Yankees on Sunday afternoon.
Toronto set a dubious record with its fewest hits (seven) through the first two games of a season before collecting nine in Saturday's 5-3 win, punctuated by a tiebreaking home run from ex-Yankee Yangervis Solarte in the eighth inning. Kevin Pillar also manufactured an insurance run in historical fashion, becoming the first Blue to swipe three bases in one inning, including a steal of home in the ninth. Giancarlo Stanton collected his fourth extra-base hit of the series, but Tyler Austin did the heavy lifting for New York, accounting for all its runs with a pair of massive homers measuring a combined 853 feet. Yankees reliever Dellin Betances yielded Solarte's homer, his second in as many outings, after allowing only three in 66 appearances a year ago.
TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, YES (New York), Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Sonny Gray (2017: 10-12, 3.55 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Marcus Stroman (2017: 10-9, 4.98)
Gray was somewhat of a disappointment after he was acquired from Oakland, where he won 14 games in back-to-back seasons (2014-15). Granted, he didn't get a ton of offensive support from New York, which backed him with one run or less in five of his seven losses with the Yankees. Gray was 1-2 in three starts at Rogers Centre last season despite a 1.50 ERA, but he tossed six innings of one-run ball to earn a win on Sept. 23.
Stroman was initially expected to draw the start on Opening Day but he was pushed back after dealing with shoulder inflammation early in training camp. The 26-year-old saw plenty of the Yankees in 2017, making five starts against them and posting a 1-2 mark with a 5.32 ERA and .297 batting average against. Aaron Judge did plenty of damage in his rookie season against Stroman, going 6-for-12 with three home runs.
WALK-OFFS
1. Austin has nine career homers and eight have either tied the game or put New York ahead.
2. Blue Jays 1B Justin Smoak was 3-for-4 with two RBIs Saturday, but he's 4-for-25 with 10 strikeouts versus Gray.
3. Yankees LF Billy McKinney (left shoulder AC sprain) and RHP Adam Warren (ankle contusion) each were hurt in Saturday's game. McKinney was later placed on the 10-day disabled list, while INF Miguel Andujar was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move.