Blue Jays Series Preview: New York Yankees are looking for revenge

The Toronto Blue Jays host the New York Yankees for three of 19 total games between the AL East Division rivals this season.

It can be difficult to call two baseball teams who do not play crucial, memorable games in front of hostile fans in electric ball parks, rivals.

Any concern for the well-being of the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees rivalry was put to rest after the All-Star break last season. From the Blue Jays’ side of things, it may have been better than ever.

The Blue Jays beat up on the fragile Yankees during their road to the postseason last year, going 9-4 after the trade deadline and 13-6 overall. After losing 17 straight games at Yankee Stadium between 2012 and 2014, the Jays found their mojo in the Bronx, winning seven straight at one point last year and outscoring them 46-21 in that stretch.

Toronto is the team to beat in the AL East and will have a target on their back all season, especially from the Yankees. On July 28, 2015, New York had a comfortable seven-game lead atop the division, only to watch helplessly as an unstoppable Blue Jays team clawed all the way back to finish the season six games ahead.

After 162 games, the Yankees were left with a one-game wildcard playoff against the Houston Astros, in which they lost at home, 3-0. So the Yankees spent the next three weeks watching the Blue Jays play some pretty darn entertaining playoff baseball.

After years of trying to keep pace with the star-studded Yankees lineup, the roles have been reversed dramatically. The New York Yankees are the underdog, itching for a taste of revenge against a team that fuelled their epic collapse just a short while ago. The Toronto Blue Jays are anxiously waiting to show them that last year was only the beginning of their reign as kings of the American League East Division.

The rivalry is back.

Here is how the series breaks down.

Next: Across the Diamond: A look at the 2016 Yankees

Across the Diamond – The New York Yankees

The bullpen. The New York Yankees can feel comfortable if they carry a lead into the eighth inning. With Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller locking things down in the late innings, there are slim hopes of a comeback from the opposition. 25 games from now, Aroldis Chapman will return from his suspension and will further solidify what could become arguably the most lethal bullpen in the Major Leagues.

The problem is getting to the late innings with a lead intact. The Yankees pitching staff is loaded with talent and high-quality arms, but all five starters struggle to find consistency. Masahiro Tanaka is the closest to a sure-thing, and has stymied the Blue Jays in the past. He has a 25-12 record since coming over to New York from Japan in 2014. 

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The rest of the rotation have each made one start this season and have averaged a 7.43 ERA through those games. The upside from the trio of Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi, and Luis Severino is something worth watching and could work out for the Yankees as the season goes on. Severino, 22, has had a strong start to his major-league career and already pitched in pivotal games in September last season.

Former Cy Young award winner C.C. Sabathia narrowly beat Ivan Nova out for the final rotation spot. The best case scenario for Sabathia would be for him to stay healthy and return to the 200 innings plateau that he reached just three seasons ago.

The Yankees showed in their first five games that they can score. They put up 35 runs so far this season, including a 16-spot against the Houston Astros. Newly acquired second-baseman Starlin Castro is off to a scorching start with his new club. He has recorded nine hits in 21 plate appearances so far (.450 BA). Brian McCann (.467 BA) and Didi Gregorius (.333 BA) have also enjoyed some early-early season success.

Health will once again be the deciding factor in the success of the 2016 Yankees. Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury, Chase Headley, and Brian McCann make up seven of nine starters in the lineup and have a combined average age of 34.4.

Next: Game One: Masahiro Tanaka vs. Aaron Sanchez

Game One: Masahiro Tanaka vs. Aaron Sanchez

Game #1: April 12, 2016 – 7:07 ET

Aaron Sanchez (0-0, 1.29 ERA, 2.78 FIP) vs.
Masahiro Tanaka (0-0, 3.18 ERA, 4.62 FIP)

Aaron Sanchez has had a lot to smile about so far this year. A strong spring showing saw the #FreeSanchez campaign get underway early on and he took full advantage of his new rotation spot in his first start against the Rays. Sanchez went seven strong innings for the Blue Jays in a tight contest in Tampa Bay, giving up just one run on five hits and racking up eight K’s.

The key to this start from the right-hander was the zero walks. In 11 starts last season, Sanchez walked less than two batters just one time. He has pitched 10.1 career innings against the Yankees with a 3.48 ERA and six strike outs, and Carlos Beltran is the only Yankee who has hit a home run off of Sanchez.

Masahiro Tanaka has had his ups and downs against the Blue Jays. His success against this offence seems to stem from the Blue Jays’ inability to lay off his sweeping breaking-ball. Plate discipline will be a key to the Jays’ success in this one against Tanaka, as he has registered 48 strike outs and just seven walks in 44.1 career innings against the Blue Jays.

Josh Donaldson is expected to get the start at third base, after he spent the last series as the designated hitter while recovering from a strained calf muscle. Donaldson is 1 for 13 in his career against Tanaka; the one hit being a home run.

Next: Game Two: Michael Pineda vs. J.A. Happ

Game Two: Michael Pineda vs. J.A. Happ

Game #2: April 13, 2016 – 7:07 ET

J.A. Happ (0-0, 3.00 ERA, 5.05 FIP) vs.
Michael Pineda (1-0, 10.80 ERA, 9.61 FIP)

J.A. Happ did exactly what he was brought to Toronto to do in his first start of the season. He pitched six innings of two-run ball and showed great command of his fastball, giving up just one walk on the day. He has made nine career starts against the Yankees with an ERA of 4.85.

The lefty will need to take care of business if the left-handed hitting Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner start at the top of the lineup. Ellsbury is 1 for 6 against lefties this year and Gardner is 1 for 1 – they are a combined 8 for 27 against Happ.

On the other side, Pineda has the unique ability to look unbeatable one inning and like a Class-A rookie pitcher the next.

Which Pineda will show up against the Blue Jays is unknown, but they will hope it’s the one who gave up six runs in five innings against the Astros last week, including three home runs.

Pineda has given up eight home runs in 50 career innings against the Blue Jays, including two from Jose Bautista. Donaldson is 0-for-10 in his career against Pineda while Edwin Encarnacion has enjoyed success, slashing .318 / .375 / .455 against him.

Next: Game Three: Nate Eovaldi vs. Marcus Stroman