Blue Jays at Yankees
The New York Yankees wasted little time setting a major league record for consecutive games with a homer on Tuesday, but the availability of one of their sluggers is in jeopardy as they vie for a series sweep of the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon. Giancarlo Stanton exited New York's 4-3 win with a right knee contusion and was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam, the team announced.
DJ LeMahieu ended any semblance of suspense with his fourth career leadoff blast to extend New York's home run streak to 28 straight games, breaking the record set by the 2002 Texas Rangers. The 30-year-old LeMahieu has four homers, 11 RBIs and 14 runs scored during his 11-game hitting streak while improving to 13-for-22 with a pair of blasts and seven RBIs in the series against the Blue Jays this season. While New York has won 10 of its last 11, Toronto fell to 2-3 on its six-game road trip versus American League East powers Boston and New York. Randal Grichuk had an RBI single in the ninth inning to improve to 9-for-21 with three homers, five RBIs and six runs scored against the Yankees this season.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, Sportsnet (Toronto), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Trent Thornton (2-5, 4.25 ERA) vs. Yankees LH James Paxton (5-3, 3.75)
Thornton received a no-decision in his last outing at Boston on Friday despite allowing two runs in 6 1/3 innings. The 25-year-old also earned the same fate against the Yankees on June 4, although he permitted four runs on five hits in five innings. Thornton, who has pitched well on the road with a 2.96 ERA, has struggled with his control to the tune of walking 31 batters in his last 11 starts.
Paxton allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings of a no-decision at Toronto on June 5 and was blitzed for six in 2 2/3 frames in his following start before turning in back-to-back wins. The 30-year-old British Columbia native kept the ball in the park and permitted just one run while striking out seven in five-plus innings of a 4-1 victory against Houston. Grichuk is 3-for-5 with a homer against Paxton, although the hurler has flustered Teoscar Hernandez (3-for-14, eight strikeouts).
WALK-OFFS
1. Toronto LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has four straight multi-hit performances and five in his last six games.
2. New York will complete its 10-game homestand on Wednesday before playing Boston in a two-game series in London on Saturday and Sunday.
3. Hernandez fanned in all four of his at-bats on Tuesday to fall to 2-for-13 with seven strikeouts versus the Yankees this season.