How do you eat a Blue Jay? One bite at a time.
The Yankees were thoroughly outclassed over the weekend in Toronto. There’s no sugar-coating it and there’s been more than enough analysis done. You’re down 0-2, so nothing less than a three-game winning streak à la 2001 or 2017 will allow your season to continue. Either that streak starts tonight, with Carlos Rodón leading the charge in the Bronx, or this is the last game thread of the year.
Rodón wasn’t exactly splendid in the Wild Card Series against
the Red Sox, allowing three runs in six-plus innings pitched. It wasn’t a bad start either, but he gave an early two-run lead back, and allowed the Sox to go ahead on a Trevor Story bomb only to be bailed out by Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s excellent play last Wednesday night. He needs to be better, or the offense needs to really wake up, for the Yankees to count on a win today. Crucially, Carlos needs to handle Vladimir Guerrero Jr., as the Blue Jays’ keystone player is 10-for-17 with no career strikeouts against the southpaw.
Shane Bieber will make his eighth start for Toronto since being acquired at the Trade Deadline following a successful career in Cleveland that ended in early-2024 Tommy John surgery. His topline results this year have been solid, with a 3.57 ERA, but a mammoth home run rate should give Yankee fans something to hope for. His 1.79 HR/9 rate would be the second-highest mark among qualified starters, so tonight should be the night the Yankees discover some power — hopefully before they’re down a dozen runs.
The lineup is the same as the first two games in the series, with no devastating splitters coming from Bieber’s right hand this time. The thinking must be to dance with the ones that brought you here. If it works, everyone will breathe a bit easier, with the first bite of the Blue Jays down. If it doesn’t work, it’ll be all we hear about the rest of the week (and likely longer).
Go Yankees — I’m not ready to be a casual baseball viewer just yet.
How to Watch:
Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, NY
First Pitch: 8:08 p.m. EDT
TV broadcast: FS1 (National)
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | SN590 (TOR) | ESPN Radio (National)
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