Everyone already knew the Toronto Blue Jays could really hit. “It seems more attainable”.
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With 10 games remaining between the two squads there is plenty of time for the Blue Jays to gain ground, or for the Yankees to build their lead, but for now Toronto has the momentum and looks like the better team. We’ve had a tremendous team this whole year and obviously just got a little better.
With a lot of hype smothering the first start, Severino was asked if there were fewer distractions leading to the second outing. That is the longest active playoff drought in the four major North American sports.
“I feel like synergy’s a good word for this team”, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey said. “And for us it’s all about the way we respond that matters”. However, as Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner found out on Sunday, if the fans aren’t careful, the tradition could turn risky. Moments later, he was standing in left field when he got hit in the back of the head by Bautista’s home run ball after a 15-year-old fan heaved it back onto the field.
Estrada, who threw 61/3 innings Sunday and lowered his ERA to 3.21, shed light on another not-often-talked-about aspect of the team. Kansas City’s bullpen then held on to the lead by pitching 1 2/3 hitless innings and CL Roberto Osuna sealed the victory with his 10th save of the season.
As for the other players the Blue Jays added, their contribution surely makes the team better but not by enough to account for their recent surge.
He left the mound after 80 pitches and having retired the last eight batters he faced after Bautista’s blast.
The Yankees batted. 151 (14-for-93) and scored one run in 28 innings in the series after scoring 90 runs in 10 games between July 25 and August. 4. The Yankees lost three in a row within their first give games.
Injured Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman, who is taking summer courses at Duke University, posted a photo on Twitter to show he was watching the game despite being in class. Stroman had the game on his phone, which he hid behind his laptop screen. Encarnacion’s middle finger has been bothering him for a while, and he aggravated it on a swing Saturday. The slugger has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games…. Yankees manager Joe Girardi may have the answer but it is still hard to comprehend how such a potent offense can suddenly go sour and so fast in a matter of days. He said right now he expects it to be someone currently on the staff, making RHP Bryan Mitchell and perhaps Warren the most likely candidates.
Since inserting Tulowitzki into the leadoff spot, the Blue Jays’ top four hitters have been a wrecking crew. Pennington can play shortstop as well as second base and hit.
The Vanderbilt All-American was named the American League’s co-Player of the Week on Monday for his performance in his first two games as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
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The Yankees are in for a tough ride, however, as they head to Cleveland. When predicting future wins at this stage of the baseball season, run differential is about 1.8 times as important as actual winning percentage.
