The Toronto Blue Jays aim to tighten the American League East race when they oppose the visiting New York Yankees on Tuesday in a Canada Day matinee.
The third-place Blue Jays took the opener of the four-game series 5-4 on Monday night to trim their gap behind first-place New York to two games entering July. The second-place Tampa Bay Rays lost 6-4 to the Athletics on Monday to remain 1 1/2 games behind the Yankees.
New York and Toronto have split their first four meetings this season.
Yankees ace Max Fried (10-2, 1.92 ERA) will get the start on Tuesday, looking to break a tie with the Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal for the major league lead in wins.
The New York left-hander is 3-0 with a 0.72 ERA in four career starts against Toronto. Fried pitched six shutout innings in an 11-2 win over the Blue Jays on April 27 in the opener of a doubleheader at New York.
The Blue Jays are expected to start Kevin Gausman (6-6, 4.21 ERA). The right-hander allowed six runs in 2 2/3 innings in a loss to Fried and the Yankees on April 27, leaving him is 10-10 with a 3.88 ERA against New York in 36 career games (30 starts).
Both teams opened the series with notable absences, and the toll increased as the game progressed.
Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette stepped on a ball during batting practice and was scratched from the lineup because of right knee discomfort, though the issue was not considered serious.
During the game, Blue Jays right fielder George Springer took a knee to the throat area when he was out sliding into third on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s two-run, go-ahead single in the sixth inning. Springer left the game but is not expected to miss time.
Toronto starter Max Scherzer allowed two runs in five innings but experienced fatigue in his right (pitching) thumb. Scherzer was pitching for the second time since returning from the injured list after recovering from inflammation in the thumb. The ailment will be monitored before his next start.
Scherzer was visited at the mound by a trainer in the fifth inning.
“I could really tell the fatigue was starting to set in,” Scherzer said. “The thumb was an issue and it was starting to leak into the forearm. I could feel tightness in the forearm, so that’s why I called (catcher Alejandro Kirk) out to try to give it a minute.”
The 40-year-old veteran stayed in the game to finish the inning.
“I knew I was done,” Scherzer said. “I had reached my limit. It is frustrating. I’m still dealing with this, still managing it. Hopefully, I will come back and recover well.”
The Yankees put reliever Fernando Cruz on the injured list on Monday due to a left oblique strain. Catcher Austin Wells also was not available after undergoing tests for circulation issues in a finger on his left hand.
Wells is not expected to be ready to return until Wednesday.
“I think it’s more from the wear and tear of catching,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “but it was enough of a concern that we wanted to put him through a lot of testing just to make sure, rule out a blood clot or aneurysm stuff. ”
In the game, New York’s Trent Grisham was removed in the fifth inning with tightness in his left hamstring. The injury occurred while the center fielder tried to make a catch on a sinking liner that dropped in for a single in the fourth inning. The severity of the injury had not been determined.
“I’m trying to be optimistic about it and really see how it wakes up in the morning,” Grisham said, according to SNY.tv.
The Yankees promoted right-hander Geoff Hartlieb from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Cruz’s roster spot. Infielder CJ Alexander was designated for assignment.
–Field Level Media
