CC Sabathia (7-9, 4.20 ERA) and J.A. Happ (16-3, 2.96 ERA) are on the hill in the last of a three-game series between the New York Yankees (61-58) and the Toronto Blue Jays (68-52) at Yankee Stadium. The Blue Jays won the last game 12-6, and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 1:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 17 and can be seen on RSN and YES.
Sabathia pitched 6.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering three runs, striking out seven and walking three in a 6-3 win over the Rays. Carlos Beltran (.308, 56 Rs, 24 HRs, 72 RBIs) had another good game yesterday, going 4 for 5 with three RBIs. Happ went 6.0 innings, surrendering zero runs, striking out seven and walking two in a 7-0 win over the Rays in his most recent start. Edwin Encarnacion (.270, 75 Rs, 34 HRs, 100 RBIs, 2 SBs) has been successful at the plate, going 2 for 5 yesterday with one run, one home run, and three RBIs.
Toronto takes on New York as a -165 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at nine runs. The Yankees have recorded an overall money line of -169 and have shown a weak performance as an underdog this season with a record of 21-32. New York has had a discouraging season against division opponents, earning records of 10-16 and 19-26 as the underdog and SU respectively. The Yankees have seen a decline in scoring against teams inside their division, averaging 3.4 runs per game. They average 4.2 runs per game on the season. As for the pitchers, the Yankees are the third-best team in the AL at limiting hits to their opponents, allowing only 8.4 hits per game so far this season. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Yankees, who lead the AL in strikeouts per game with 8.8.
In the other locker room, Toronto is coming in with an overall money line of +95 and an impressive record of 55-35 as the favorite. They have been playing solid baseball as favorite with a 20-13 record against AL East opponents, and a 28-22 record SU. The Blue Jays have a dynamic offense, ranking fourth in the league with 396 extra base hits. Shifting to the pitching staff and defense, the Blue Jays allow just 4.0 runs per game, ranking them first in the AL. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Blue Jays are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.217 for the season.
The Blue Jays have controlled the season series, 8-3. The Yankees have a 17-19 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Happ takes the mound. Sabathia (LHP) will be on the hill against the Blue Jays, who have a 16-18 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR, O/U – Over
Notes
Toronto has won 52% (26-24) of its games when leading after seven innings. However, New York has won 54% (34-29) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Blue Jays are coming into this meeting after a high-scoring game where they scored an impressive 12 runs. The Yankees have a 0-4 record when opponents score that many runs or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Yankees are 46-8. The Blue Jays have a 54-9 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 23rd, New York is near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 494 this season. Toronto ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 579.
Ranking 23rd, New York is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 339 this season. Toronto ranks in the top five at third with 449.
The Yankees are 44-31 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Blue Jays are 60-30 when they hit at least one homer.
