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Jays host division-rival Yanks in rubber game
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 4/14/2016  at  1:42:00 PM
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By Brad Kallet

New York Yankees (4-3)

at TORONTO BLUE JAYS (4-5)

First pitch: Thursday, 7:07 p.m. ET
Line: New York +140, Toronto -150, Total: 8.5

Marcus Stroman and the Blue Jays look to take the rubber game of the series from Nathan Eovaldi and the division-rival Yankees.

After losing four straight games last week, the Blue Jays (4-5) have gotten back on track by taking two of three. They fell, 3-2, to the Bombers in the series opener on Tuesday but rebounded with a 7-2 win on Wednesday night. On the hill for the reigning American League champions is RHP Marcus Stroman (1-0, 5.40 ERA, 9 SO, 4 BB in 13 1/3 innings pitched), who hasn’t looked particularly sharp over his first two starts of the season. Starting for the Yankees (4-3) is RHP Nathan Eovaldi (0-0, 9.00 ERA, 7 SO, 0 BB in 5 IP), who throws as hard as anyone in the game but is wildly inconsistent. The Blue Jays have one of the most feared lineups in the game, but the Yanks have actually scored more runs (40 to 38), hit more homers (11 to 9) and hit for a higher average (.274 to .221) than their rivals. The Jays have pitched better (3.76 ERA) than the Bombers (4.28 ERA) overall, though New York’s bullpen (2.31 ERA)—which might have the most talented collected late-inning arms in baseball—has been better than Toronto’s (4.18). Toronto took the season series 13-6 in 2015.

It’s been a turn-back-the-clock start to the season for veteran C Brian McCann (.500, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .591 OBP), who leads the American League in hitting. The seven-time All-Star was out of the lineup on Wednesday, and is currently day-to-day with a toe issue. Newcomer Starlin Castro (.346, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .414 OBP) has come out of the gate swinging, making general manager Brian Cashman look like a genius. SS Didi Gregorius (.333, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .348 OBP) and RF Carlos Beltran (.292, 2 HR, 4 RBI) have gotten off to solid starts for manager Joe Girardi, and CF Jacoby Ellsbury (.281, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB) has taken some good swings of late. IB Mark Teixeira (.240, 3 HR, 8 RBI) leads the club in homers, but DH Alex Rodriguez (.136, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 8 SO) and LF Brett Gardner (.211, 0 HR, 0 RBI) have been dreadful at the plate. The Yankees have not had success against Stroman. Ellsbury is 0-for-11 against the 24-year-old with three strikeouts and Gardner is 3-for-13, though he’s taken him deep twice. McCann is just 2-for-13 lifetime against Stroman, and Teixeira has homered off him for his only hit in six career at-bats.

Toronto’s lineup is a nightmare for pitchers. It’s a murderer’s row of sluggers, and there’s really no easy way to navigate it. RF Jose Bautista (.321, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .500 OBP) is a premier middle-of-the-order bat, and 3B Josh Donaldson (.306, 4 HR, 9 RBI) is the reigning American League MVP. 2B Ryan Goins (.321, 0 HR, 2 RBI) has been a pleasant surprise for manager John Gibbons, but sluggers Edwin Encarnacion (.265, 0 HR, 4 RBI), Troy Tulowitzki (.125, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .216 OBP) and Russell Martin (.077, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .107 OBP) have yet to get it going. When they find their strokes—and you know they will—look out. Last year was Eovaldi’s first in the American League, so the Blue Jays haven’t seen much of him. Donaldson has homered off the 26-year-old and Martin and Tulowitzki both have a pair of hits off him.


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