The New York Yankees had gone 0-5 over their previous five games with two losses to the Blue Jays before beating Toronto on September 9 to start their current six-game winning streak. The Yankees will look to extend their streak with another win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night at home.
- Date/Time: September 16, 7:05 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Yankee Stadium
- TV Coverage: YES, RSN
- Sportsbook Odds: Yankees -260 | O/U 9 (Line History)
- Blue Jays vs Yankees Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Sportsbook odds on this game have remained unchanged with the Yankees going off as -260 favorites and the Blue Jays paying +220 as road underdogs. The total has moved a half-point from its Sportsbook line at 9 runs down to 8.5 runs. New York won 20-6 in Tuesday’s series opener against Toronto as a -155 favorite.
Starting Pitchers Analysis
Tanner Roark pitched four innings and allowed two runs on two solo home runs against the Yankees in Toronto’s 7-2 loss to New York last Wednesday. On the season, Roark owns a 5.60 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP in eight starts. Despite his pedestrian numbers, the Blue Jays are 6-2 in the eight games that Roark has started.
Gerrit Cole snapped out of his slump in style last Friday as he pitched a complete-game shutout in a shortened seven-inning game against the Baltimore Orioles. Cole allowed only two hits and one walk while striking out nine in New York’s 6-0 win, lowering his season ERA to 3.20 and breaking a streak of four straight losses.
Toronto News & Notes
Toronto has not lost a series since dropping two of three games to the Tampa Bay Rays back in the middle of August. Since August 17, the Jays are 19-10 with six series wins and three series ties across nine series. That streak is in major jeopardy after they were beaten 20-6 on Tuesday, but they did bounce back from an 18-1 series-Sportsbook loss to the Mets to win two straight games and the series over the weekend.
The Yankees and Blue Jays are both expected to make the postseason even if they fail to catch the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL East division lead. The Blue Jays are 4.5 games behind the Rays and a half-game behind the Yankees in the standings with six games against New York still remaining.
New York News & Notes
Giancarlo Stanton returned to the lineup after missing 32 games on Tuesday night. Gio Urshela also returned after a 12-day stint on the injured list. And while Stanton didn’t have an impact on the scoreboard with an 0-for-4 night, the team around him certainly did with a 20-run effort fueled by six home runs. Luke Voit went 3-for-5 in the win with two home runs to move into first place in the major leagues with 18 homers.
The Yankees don’t have much starting pitching depth behind Gerrit Cole and have been prone to inconsistency all season long. But their recent 6-0 run and this 20-run outburst should serve as reminders that New York can still be a serious championship threat this season if it gets hot at the right time.
Betting Pick: New York -260
With Gerrit Cole and the offense both seemingly back on track, it’s hard to imagine Tanner Roark outdueling the Yankees ace in this one. The price is steep, but the Yankees should get the job done at home.
- Toronto is 2-8 in its last 10 road games vs New York.
- New York is 19-7 at home this season.
- The OVER is 6-3 in Toronto’s last 9 games.
