Don’t look now, but the Blue Jays (60-64) are making a late-season push towards the playoffs. Toronto notched a 3-1 win over the Yankees (68-54) on Friday night. That brings the defending AL champions within one game of the Junior Circuit’s final wildcard spot. Now, New York will attempt to bounce back with ace Cam Schlittler on the mound. Which of these two divisional rivals will come out on top this afternoon?
The Yankees are favorites (-185) over the Blue Jays; the over/under is set at 7.5 runs. Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Saturday’s showdown between New York and Toronto on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Yankees vs. Blue Jays pick, best bet today
- Total Runs Under 3.5 – 1st 5 Innings (-105): Schlittler against the league’s second-worst offense? That alone is enough reason to back an early under. New York’s difficulty at the plate in recent weeks only increases the odds we’re in for another intense, low-scoring affair on Saturday.
Yankees vs. Blue Jays prediction, preview
As previously mentioned, Schlittler has been a bonafide ace for the Yankees this season. The current AL Cy Young favorite, it’s been a breakout campaign from the 25-year-old. Through 146.2 innings (25 starts), the right-hander has notched a 2.21 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 182 strikeouts (11.2 K/9). He’s allowed one earned run or less in three of his last four outings. Per Savant, the right-hander ranks within the 90th percentile in xERA (2.92), fastball velocity (97.9 MPH), strikeout rate (31.4%) and walk rate (5.4%).
This is a spot Schlittler has done well in this season. Over two meetings with the Blue Jays, he’s allowed three earned runs (2.08 ERA). There’s no reason to assume he can’t continue that success this afternoon. Toronto has been abysmal at the plate, averaging the second-fewest runs per game in baseball (3.91). Interestingly enough, that number has gone down to 3.83 when playing at home. To make matters worse, the Jays are tied for the eighth-worst OPS against right-handed pitching (.701).
Toronto isn’t the only squad dealing with issues at the plate. New York has been a mess offensively without Aaron Judge (ribs). Since July 1st, the Bronx Bombers have scored the league’s third-fewest runs (131). Despite bringing in several new hitters, the club has only seen slight improvement. Over their last two games, the Yankees have scored a combined one run. Slumping slugger Ben Rice hasn’t been able to carry a mediocre, injury-depleted supporting cast. Recently acquired outfielder Helliot Ramos has gone just 2-for-28 (.071) with his new team.
If there was ever a spot for the Yankees to get their groove back, one would think it would be Saturday. After all, the Jays are opting to go with a bullpen day. However, there’s no guarantee that the home team will lose focus on the mound. Kicking things off will be Braydon Fisher, who has tossed nine straight scoreless frames during the month of August. Over 61.0 innings, he’s recorded a 3.54 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 57 strikeouts (8.4 K/9). Toronto owns the league’s eighth-best bullpen ERA (3.82).
Best Bet: Total Runs Under 3.5 – 1st 5 Innings (-105)
There’s no reason to express confidence in either of these lineups at the moment. Toronto has been disappointing all season at the dish, and facing Schlittler is unlikely to help.As for the Yankees, they’ve been among the league’s worst offenses for the past two months. The Jays should be able to mix and match throughout this one to keep New York’s bats off balance.
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