Blue Jays host Yankees for the series of the season

Aug 8, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting and winning pitcher

(14) pitches in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The Blue Jays defeated the Yankees 6-0. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Game 1:  Friday, August 14th  –  7:07 ET
David Price (11-4, 2.35)  vs.  Ivan Nova (4-4, 3.52)

We get a repeat of the pitching matchup from the Bronx in the series opener, with Blue Jays ace David Price taking on the talented Ivan Nova. Price was dominant in their last meeting, his second outing as a Jay, throwing seven innings of shutout ball while allowing just three hits and striking out seven.

Price has seen his ERA fall to 2.35 since moving to Toronto, which has put him on the fringes of the AL Cy Young discussion. While he’s certainly able to take care of the ERA and WHIP numbers, the Blue Jays bats should feed him some wins even when he’s not locked in. Look for an electric atmosphere with Price chasing Ks, and his most important task will be to avoid the long ball.

Nova counters for the Yankees as he continues to rebuild from his Tommy John surgery. The right-hander did allow four earned runs over 5.1 innings against the Jays last week, but his raw stuff looked encouraging, his curveball especially. Nova has been fairly strong since his return, but if the Jays are able to break into New York’s bullpen early, it could tilt the series in their favor.

Next: Game two: Estrada gets the matinee