Toronto Blue Jays Host New York Yankees In Rare 4 Game Series
Toronto has surprised some pundits this season as they are 45-38 and three games behind the Yankees. They were not supposed to be this good. Toronto hosts the Yankees in a rare four-game series in Toronto beginning tonight. The Yankees have the pitching edge in the first two games and hope to earn a series split.
Doing so would mean the gap between Toronto and New York would remain at three games. Nevertheless, Toronto will be a difficult test for the Yankees. What do you think will be the series result?
Pitching Matchups in Toronto
In the game in Toronto tonight at 7:07 pm, the Yankees have Carlos Rodon pitching against Max Scherzer. This is only Scherzer’s third start of the season. The formidable 41-year-old has not been great this year. He has a 5.63 earned run average and a 0-0 record. He is looking for his first decision of 2025. It has always been interesting to see him. His eyes are different colors.
Carlos Rodon, on the other hand, has been very good for the Yankees. It will be interesting to see if Rodon can contain the powerful Toronto lineup. Rodon has a 2.92 earned run average 0.97 WHIP and 119 strikeouts. Rodon has made 17 starts this season. He has a good case to make his first All-Star appearance since 2022, and that would be his first with the Yankees. Rodon pitched well in Cincinnati and has a 9-5 record.
In the second game of this series in Toronto in the afternoon on Tuesday at 3:07, the game pits Yankees ace Max Fried vs. Kevin Gausman. This is Canada Day, and Canadians are sure to get their money’s worth in this marquee matchup. Fried is 10-2 with a 1.92 earned run average. He was the first 10-game winner in the majors. Gausman is 6-6 with a 4.21 earned run average. He is the ace of Toronto’s pitching staff.
In the third game on Wednesday at 7:07 pm, the rookie fireballer Will Warren will start for the Yankees, and José BerrÃos will start for the Blue Jays. Warren has the breaking ball with the most break in the Majors. Warren is 5-4, and his 107 strikeouts are tops among American League rookies. Berrios is 4-3 with a 3.26 earned run average. He is having a good season. BerrÃos is the opposite of Warren though their walk rate is similar.
The series finale on Thursday evening pits Clarke Schmidt against Chris Bassitt at 7:07 pm. Schmidt has a 3.09 earned run average. He has improved all season. His bugaboo is giving up home runs, like he did against the Athletics. Bassitt is another one of those guys whose topline and underlying performances tell radically different stories. He is 7-4 with a 4.29 earned run average. That hat is ten percentage points higher than the league average.
The Blue Jays Are Overperforming
Many experts picked the Blue Jays to finish last in the American League East, but they have played much better than that. Toronto is 45-38 and only three games behind the New York Yankees in third place. If they sweep the series, they will leap over the Yankees. The biggest story for the Blue Jays this season is the signing of slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr, signing a 14-year $500 million contract. The Blue Jays have several talented hitters in their lineup.
Final Thoughts
Toronto is red hot. It would be a good thing if the Yankees could split this four-game series. Toronto is surprising some people, hot on the Yankees’ heels. So, the Yankees can not afford to lose any ground in this four-game series. It will be difficult for the Yankees not to look past this series with the Blue Jays because a three-game series with the Mets in Queens is next.
