Blue Jays Series Preview: Yankees step into the spotlight

Sep 16, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) hits an RBI double against Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Shelby Miller, left, in the first inning of their game at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays look to hit the reset button on Monday as the New York Yankees enter town with a 2.5 game deficit in the American League East. After dropping two straight games to the Red Sox in a depressing fashion over the weekend, the Blue Jays send their stopper to the hill for the series opener in David Price.

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New York, on the other hand, has won their last two and continue to occupy the unexpected role of overachievers. With Nathan Eovaldi already out of the rotation due to injury, the Jays catch a break in this series as Masahiro Tanaka will miss Wednesday’s game with a minor hamstring injury. When we consider the injury to Mark Teixeira, New York’s bullpen situation and the age of Alex Rodriguez, it makes their success even more impressive.

A key for Toronto will be cracking into that bullpen early in an effort to expose the relievers that come before Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller. New York’s offense trails only Toronto for runs scored in the majors this season, so the balls could be flying at the Rogers Centre. Ahead, we break down the three pitching matchups featured in the series.

Next: Game 1: Is Price the trump card?