Jeter, Yankees ride 6-game streak to Toronto
Jeter, Yankees ride 6-game streak to Toronto
Derek Jeter and the Bronx Bombers are tearing it up on offense as they prepare for a four-game weekend series north of the border in Toronto. With six-straight wins under their belt, Yankees hitters have averaged over nine runs per game their last 10 contests, scoring 24 times in the recent sweep at Baltimore. New York may need the extra runs against the Blue Jays with closer Mariano Rivera expected to draw a few days of rest.
It’s hard to believe, but the Toronto Blue Jays were once among the teams to beat in the American League East. Here’s a look at the standings back on May 23:
Toronto 27-19 (+48 run differential)
Boston 25-18 (+25)
NY Yankees 25-18 (+2)
Tampa Bay 23-22 (+42)
Baltimore 18-25 (-48)
Times have certainly changed for the Blue Jays heading into their four-game series with the Yankees beginning on Thursday night at Rogers Centre. Toronto (59-73, -19.47 units) is now 25.5 games behind first-place New York (85-48, +10.80 units), which is among baseball’s most profitable wagers despite its public status.
The Bronx Bombers have been on a tear over the last two and a half months in particular. New York is 47-16 against the moneyline over its last 63 ballgames, climbing into ninth place on the MLB moneylist coming into its series in Toronto.
It feels like the Yanks will have to go out of their way to lose a single game to the Jays this weekend, although Toronto remains a decent bet at home. The Jays are 34-32 (-6.04 units) at Rogers Centre this season, while the Yankees are 40-28 (+4.64) when they hit the road.
New York was set as -135 chalk for Thursday night’s opener (7:07 PM ET) when the line was released on Wednesday morning, but it was available at -123 on the moneyline by later in the afternoon. Toronto opened as a +115 underdog with lefthander Ricky Romero (11-6, 3.82 ERA) taking the hill opposite spot-starter Chad Gaudin (1-0, 3.21 ERA) for the Yankees.
Take away Romero’s starts against the Boston Red Sox this season, and he’s 11-3 with a 3.24 ERA. With Romero taking the bump, Thursday night’s game might be the best chance the Jays have of cashing a payday in the series.
That’s because staff ace Roy Halladay (13-8, 3.13 ERA) simply hasn’t been himself since general manager J.P. Ricciardi shopped the righthander prior to last month’s non-waiver trade deadline. Halladay went 2-4 with a 4.71 ERA during the month of August, and was tagged for eight homers during the span. The Doctor has been particularly mediocre over his last three starts, during which he’s put up a 7.94 ERA en route to an 0-3 record.
Halladay gets the ball in Friday night’s game (7:07 PM ET), in what will be his fourth start of the season against New York. The big righty has two complete games against the Yankees in those outings, and has a 1-1 record with a 3.60 ERA overall against New York.
Joba Chamberlain (8-4, 4.38 ERA) matches up with Halladay, but make sure to handicap the state of the Yanks bullpen before the game. Chamberlain is on a short pitch count until the end of the season, so expect him to throw no more than 50 pitches, if that. Like his counterpart, Chamberlain has struggled lately, going 0-2 with a 9.75 ERA over his last three trips to the mound.
Toronto hasn’t yet announced who’ll take the ball for Cito Gaston in the final two games of the series, though Brett Cecil and Brian Tallet are possibles. The Bombers will go with Andy Pettitte (12-6, 4.03 ERA) and Sergio Mitre (3-1, 5.65 ERA).
The Yankees are 19-8 against the moneyline in Pettitte’s 27 starts this season, during which the club has played under the total 18 times. As solid as Pettitte has been for New York, he’s struggled in day games, with a 1-4 mark and 6.07 ERA in afternoon starts heading into Saturday’s contest (1:07 PM ET).
Mitre was pushed back from a scheduled Thursday outing because of a sore forearm. The righthander’s insertion into the rotation for Sunday’s game means former Blue Jay A.J. Burnett will get an extra day’s rest (and pitch instead during the team’s doubleheader against the Rays on Monday).
Winners of six straight and seven of eight contests, New York leads the season series 9-3, and has taken four of the five games played at Rogers Centre.
On the other side of the betting odds coin, Toronto has dropped nine of its last 12 games and hasn’t cashed back-to-back paydays since defeating the Yankees 5-4 as +137 road dogs on August 10.
Derek Jeter and the Bronx Bombers are tearing it up on offense as they prepare for a four-game weekend series north of the border in Toronto. With six-straight wins under their belt, Yankees hitters have averaged over nine runs per game their last 10 contests, scoring 24 times in the recent sweep at Baltimore. New York may need the extra runs against the Blue Jays with closer Mariano Rivera expected to draw a few days of rest.
It’s hard to believe, but the Toronto Blue Jays were once among the teams to beat in the American League East. Here’s a look at the standings back on May 23:
Toronto 27-19 (+48 run differential)
Boston 25-18 (+25)
NY Yankees 25-18 (+2)
Tampa Bay 23-22 (+42)
Baltimore 18-25 (-48)
Times have certainly changed for the Blue Jays heading into their four-game series with the Yankees beginning on Thursday night at Rogers Centre. Toronto (59-73, -19.47 units) is now 25.5 games behind first-place New York (85-48, +10.80 units), which is among baseball’s most profitable wagers despite its public status.
The Bronx Bombers have been on a tear over the last two and a half months in particular. New York is 47-16 against the moneyline over its last 63 ballgames, climbing into ninth place on the MLB moneylist coming into its series in Toronto.
It feels like the Yanks will have to go out of their way to lose a single game to the Jays this weekend, although Toronto remains a decent bet at home. The Jays are 34-32 (-6.04 units) at Rogers Centre this season, while the Yankees are 40-28 (+4.64) when they hit the road.
New York was set as -135 chalk for Thursday night’s opener (7:07 PM ET) when the line was released on Wednesday morning, but it was available at -123 on the moneyline by later in the afternoon. Toronto opened as a +115 underdog with lefthander Ricky Romero (11-6, 3.82 ERA) taking the hill opposite spot-starter Chad Gaudin (1-0, 3.21 ERA) for the Yankees.
Take away Romero’s starts against the Boston Red Sox this season, and he’s 11-3 with a 3.24 ERA. With Romero taking the bump, Thursday night’s game might be the best chance the Jays have of cashing a payday in the series.
That’s because staff ace Roy Halladay (13-8, 3.13 ERA) simply hasn’t been himself since general manager J.P. Ricciardi shopped the righthander prior to last month’s non-waiver trade deadline. Halladay went 2-4 with a 4.71 ERA during the month of August, and was tagged for eight homers during the span. The Doctor has been particularly mediocre over his last three starts, during which he’s put up a 7.94 ERA en route to an 0-3 record.
Halladay gets the ball in Friday night’s game (7:07 PM ET), in what will be his fourth start of the season against New York. The big righty has two complete games against the Yankees in those outings, and has a 1-1 record with a 3.60 ERA overall against New York.
Joba Chamberlain (8-4, 4.38 ERA) matches up with Halladay, but make sure to handicap the state of the Yanks bullpen before the game. Chamberlain is on a short pitch count until the end of the season, so expect him to throw no more than 50 pitches, if that. Like his counterpart, Chamberlain has struggled lately, going 0-2 with a 9.75 ERA over his last three trips to the mound.
Toronto hasn’t yet announced who’ll take the ball for Cito Gaston in the final two games of the series, though Brett Cecil and Brian Tallet are possibles. The Bombers will go with Andy Pettitte (12-6, 4.03 ERA) and Sergio Mitre (3-1, 5.65 ERA).
The Yankees are 19-8 against the moneyline in Pettitte’s 27 starts this season, during which the club has played under the total 18 times. As solid as Pettitte has been for New York, he’s struggled in day games, with a 1-4 mark and 6.07 ERA in afternoon starts heading into Saturday’s contest (1:07 PM ET).
Mitre was pushed back from a scheduled Thursday outing because of a sore forearm. The righthander’s insertion into the rotation for Sunday’s game means former Blue Jay A.J. Burnett will get an extra day’s rest (and pitch instead during the team’s doubleheader against the Rays on Monday).
Winners of six straight and seven of eight contests, New York leads the season series 9-3, and has taken four of the five games played at Rogers Centre.
On the other side of the betting odds coin, Toronto has dropped nine of its last 12 games and hasn’t cashed back-to-back paydays since defeating the Yankees 5-4 as +137 road dogs on August 10.