When the Yankees managed just one run from bases loaded, no outs in the sixth inning last night, a sinking feeling crept in that it would prove a turning point in the game. Indeed, the Blue Jays rattled of four runs in each of the next two innings to turn what had been a tight contest into a complete laugher. Hopefully, the pasting served as almost a cathartic moment for the Yankees to get all of the bad habits from Game 1 out of their system. The only way to flip the script is to turn the page,
wipe the slate clean, and attack today as a new day.
The good news is that they have their ace Max Fried on the mound. During his All-Star-worthy stretch in the first half, he was nails filling the role of stopper following a loss, and the Yankees need him to don that hat again today. He enters his start riding a wave of positive momentum having tossed six scoreless in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox to follow seven straight starts allowing three or fewer runs to close out his regular season. He faced the Blue Jays four times during the regular season, allowing one unearned run in six innings on April 27th, surrendering four and then six runs in his subsequent two starts during his summer downturn, and finishing with seven innings of three-run ball on September 7th. On the year, Fried went 19-5 in 32 starts, with a 2.86 ERA (142 ERA+), 3.07 FIP, and 189 strikeouts in 195.1 innings.
Trey Yesavage went from starting the season at Low-A to starting Game 2 of the ALDS in what has been one of the most aggressive promotions of a pitching prospect in recent memory. The 22-year-old rookie was only just drafted out of East Carolina in the 2024 MLB Draft and experienced a meteoric rise to become the team’s top prospect by midseason according to MLB Pipeline. He profiles similarly to Toronto’s Game 1 starter, Kevin Gausman, with a four-seamer that sits in the mid-90s and a devastating splitter that is his go-to strikeout pitch, returning an eye-watering 57.1-percent whiff rate. Unlike Gausman, Yesavage throws his slider in roughly an equal proportion as his splitter, his four-seamer has elite carry with almost 20 inches of induced vertical break, and his more over-the-top delivery creates the illusion that his splitter has a lot more downward break. Given the similarity in profile to Gausman, there is a chance the Yankees employ a similar approach as in Game 1 where they were uber-aggressive swinging at in-zone fastballs early in the count. In three regular season starts, Yesavage posted a 3.21 ERA, 2.35 FIP, 25.8-percent strikeout rate, 11.3-percent walk rate, and didn’t allow a home run across 14 innings.
The Yankees roll it back with the exact same lineup that scored just one run last night. It’s their A-lineup, so changes weren’t expected, they just need to play like they are capable. That starts with Aaron Judge, whose strikeout on ball four with the bases loaded was a real gut punch. Ditto for Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger, who need to turn things around after cooling off significantly in the final month of the season. While ambushing an early fastball is a sound strategy against a starter who wants hitters to chase off-speed out of the zone, it also wouldn’t go amiss to work some deep counts after going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranding seven in Game 1.
The Blue Jays meanwhile make fairly robust changes to their lineup with the lefty Fried on the mound. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alejandro Kirk remain after splitting three home runs and four RBIs between them in Game 1. However, Nathan Lukes sits after driving in a pair, replaced by Myles Straw in right field. Anthony Santander is also subbed out with Davis Schneider entering to play left. Isiah Kiner-Falefa draws the start at second, shifting Ernie Clement to third and Addison Barger to the bench.
How to Watch:
Location: Rogers Centre — Toronto, ON, CAN
First Pitch: 4:08 p.m. EDT
TV broadcast: FOX (National)
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | SN590 (TOR) | ESPN Radio (National)
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