Game: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays
Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
Odds: Yankees -110, Blue Jays -110
Total: 7.5
The Yankees’ seven-game winning streak came to an end on Monday with a 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays in the first game of this series between the two AL East rivals. Tuesday night’s second game of the three-game series will give the visiting New York Yankees one more chance to claim the American League East Division crown.
Aaron Judge of the Yankees will also have another opportunity to match or surpass the AL record of 61 home runs established by Roger Maris of New York in 1961. Judge went 1-for-3 with two walks, one of which was intentional, and stayed at 60 home runs for the season. The major league leader in home runs has not hit a homer in his last six games.
The Blue Jays deliberately walked Judge to load the bases in the top of the 10th inning. New York had runners on first and second with two outs. Left-handed pitcher Tim Mayza entered the game and got Anthony Rizzo to ground out to stop the threat and end the inning.
For the second out in the bottom of the 10th, Judge made an outstanding catch on Bo Bichette in right field. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s RBI single gave would eventually give Toronto the victory.
On Tuesday, the Blue Jays will start right-hander Jose Berrios (11-6, 5.27 ERA), as they strive to clinch the first AL wild-card slot. This year, Berrios has faced the Yankees three times, all in New York; he is 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA against them. He has a 3-3 record and a 4.74 ERA in eight career starts versus the Yankees. Berrios was roughed up in his last start. He lasted just two innings and gave up six runs in a 10-5 loss to Tampa Bay.
Right-hander Jameson Taillon will get the start for the Yankees (94-59). Taillon is 13-5 with a 3.90 ERA this season. In nine starts versus the Blue Jays in his career, Taillon is 4-4 with a 3.72 ERA. In five starts this season versus Toronto, he is 3-2 with a 2.67 ERA. Taillon’s last start was a good one. He pitched six innings of scoreless baseball and struck out eight as the Yankees beat the Red Sox 5-4.
In the AL East, the Yankees lead the Blue Jays (87-67) by 7.5 games. The Yankees would capture the division with a victory on Tuesday. In order to host every game of a best-of-three first-round playoff series, the Blue Jays must lock down the first wild-card spot. In that race, Toronto leads the Tampa Bay Rays (84-69) by 2.5 games.
The Yankees are now 7-1 SU in their last eight games and 1-5 SU in their last six against Toronto. The Blue Jays are 5-2 SU in their last seven home games and just 4-9 SU in their last 13 games against the Yankees at home. The total has gone Under in four of the last five Yankees-Blue Jays games.
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