Blue Jays take on the Yankees in division matchup
New York Yankees (38-21, first in the AL East) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (22-38, fourth in the AL East)
Toronto; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Yankees: James Paxton (3-2, 2.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 59 strikeouts) Blue Jays: Trent Thornton (1-4, 4.53 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 65 strikeouts)
LINE: Blue Jays favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: AL East opponents Toronto and New York will face off at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays are 5-11 against AL East opponents. Toronto ranks last in the American League in hitting with a .220 batting average. Freddy Galvis leads the club with an average of .254.
The Yankees are 18-6 against the rest of their division. New York has slugged .449, good for fourth in in the MLB. Gary Sanchez leads the team with a .649 slugging percentage, including 22 extra-base hits and 18 home runs. The Blue Jays won the last meeting 4-3. Thomas Pannone recorded his second victory and Galvis went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs for Toronto. Masahiro Tanaka registered his fifth loss for New York.
TOP PERFORMERS: Justin Smoak leads the Blue Jays with 33 RBIs and is batting .242. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is 12-for-36 with four doubles, four home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games for Toronto.
Luke Voit leads the Yankees with 39 RBIs and is batting .272. Sanchez is 7-for-31 with a double, three home runs and four RBIs over the last 10 games for New York.
LAST 10 GAMES: Blue Jays: 2-8, .225 batting average, 6.46 ERA, outscored by 29 runs
Yankees: 6-4, .267 batting average, 3.71 ERA, outscored opponents by 14 runs
Blue Jays Injuries: Jacob Waguespack: 10-day IL (shoulder), Ryan Tepera: 10-day IL (elbow), Matt Shoemaker: 60-day IL (knee), David Phelps: 60-day IL (elbow), Clay Buchholz: 10-day IL (shoulder), Ryan Borucki: 60-day IL (elbow), Dalton Pompey: 60-day IL (concussion), Devon Travis: 60-day IL (knee).
Yankees Injuries: Luis Severino: 60-day IL (shoulder), Jordan Montgomery: 60-day IL (elbow), Jonathan Loaisiga: 60-day IL (shoulder), Ben Heller: 60-day IL (elbow), Dellin Betances: 60-day IL (shoulder), Jake Barrett: 10-day IL (elbow), Aaron Judge: 10-day IL (oblique), Jacoby Ellsbury: 60-day IL (hip), Troy Tulowitzki: 10-day IL (calf), Didi Gregorius: 60-day IL (elbow), Greg Bird: 60-day IL (foot), Miguel Andujar: 60-day IL (labrum), Giancarlo Stanton: 10-day IL (bicep).
