The New York Yankees (83-67) and Toronto Blue Jays (86-65) current three-game set has not disappointed fans at all. Both clubs have managed to capture a win in the first two games and are now bound for a promising rubber match this Wednesday night at Rogers Centre that will have some major playoff implications at stake. Who will take home the glory in Game 3?
Read on below for a detailed breakdown of this AL East clash. And while you’re at it, prepare yourself for some NFL Week 3 action with our previews: Eagles vs. Jets and Falcons vs. Cowboys.
[sc:MLBArticles ]New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays Preview
Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
When: Wednesday, September 23, 7:07 PM ET
Line: New York Yankees (+155) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (-175); Total: 6.5 —View all MLB Lines
Betting on the New York Yankees
Following a nail-biting 6-4 victory in yesterday’s Game 2, the New York Yankees will be hoping for the same results when they hand the ball to Ivan Nova (6-8, 5.11 ERA) as they take on the Toronto Blue Jays once again for their series finale.
[sc:MLB240banner ]But the odds of that happening are pretty slim with the struggling Nova, who replaced the injured Masahiro Tanaka, on the mound later. The 28-year-old Dominican will be eyeing some revenge on the Blue Jays, the team he faced in his last start. This game went so poorly (six earned runs in 1 2/3 innings) for Nova that the Yankees kicked him off the rotation.
Fortunately, tonight might just be the perfect opportunity for Nova to bounce back as he’s pitched much better during road games, holding a 3-3 record with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP throughout six starts this season. New York is 5-5 in his last 10 starts.
As for the offense, look to the pair of Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann to light up the plate. Beltran holds a team-best .279 batting average and is 6-for-19 with two homers and seven RBIs in his last five outings. McCann, meanwhile, is only 4-for-16 in his previous four but leads the Yankees with 91 RBIs to his name on the year.
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Betting on the Toronto Blue Jays
Despite the loss last night, the Toronto Blue Jays are still on top of the American League East division, holding a 2.5-game edge over the resilient New York Yankees. The Blue Jays will look to extend that advantage further when they put their trust on Marcus Stroman (2-0, 3.00 ERA) for the final game of a crucial three-game set against their division rivals.
Stroman has shown barely any rust at all after fully recovering from a torn left ACL which he suffered back in March. Over his first two starts of the season, the 24-year-old righty has yielded just four runs and through 12 innings to pick up two-straight victories under his name. Also, Stroman seems to be on track for another strong performance later, as he holds a 3-1 record with a quality 3.18 ERA and .218 opponents’ batting average across four career starts opposite the Yankees.
Of course, Stroman can’t do it all alone and he’ll definitely need the duo of Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion to spark up their offense.
Donaldson leads the team in batting average (.297), homers (39), RBIs (120) and hits (174) this year. Encarnacion, on the other hand, continues to sizzle at the plate, as he is 14-for-38 in his previous 10 contests and is 9-for-26 lifetime opposite the Yankees’ starter in Ivan Nova.
Writer’s Prediction:
The Blue Jays (+180) win, 6-4.
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