Yankees at Blue Jays
Gio Urshela and the New York Yankees followed a familiar formula as the former's second consecutive multi-homer performance helped extend his team's winning streak to a season-high nine games. New York has recorded multiple homers in a campaign-best seven straight contests heading into the second of a four-game series against the host Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.
Urshela launched a two-run shot in the first inning and a three-run blast in the third in Thursday's 12-6 win over the Blue Jays to join Bill Skowron as the lone Yankees to notch their first two career multi-homer games on back-to-back days. The 27-year-old Urshela is riding the majors' longest active hitting streak (13 games) for American League East-leading New York, which has erupted for 21 homers in its last five contests and 32 during its last dozen games. Toronto rookie Bo Bichette also went deep on Thursday and set an MLB record by ripping a double in a ninth consecutive contest. The 21-year-old Bichette has 13 extra-base hits and rides an 11-game career-opening hitting streak into an encounter with Friday starter J.A. Happ.
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network, YES (New York), Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH J.A. Happ (9-6, 5.24 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Sean Reid-Foley (1-2, 2.49)
Happ improved to 2-3 in his last seven starts on Sunday despite allowing four runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 7-4 victory versus Boston. The 36-year-old breezed through the first four frames before permitting back-to-back solo shots in the fifth, raising his total to six homers in his last four outings. Happ has split a pair of decisions against Toronto this season despite limiting the club to three runs and a .191 batting average over 12 1/3 innings.
Reid-Foley fell to 1-1 in two starts since being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo after yielding four runs (one earned) on four hits in as many innings of Sunday's 6-5 setback at Baltimore. The 23-year-old has struggled with his control in back-to-back outings, surrendering four walks in each to drive up his pitch count. Reid-Foley issued three free passes in two innings of a no-decision versus the Yankees on June 24 and seven combined while posting a 1-1 mark in a pair of uneven performances against the club last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Toronto C Reese McGuire had four hits in the opener to eclipse his season total and account for 25 percent of the number in his career.
2. Yankees 1B DJ LeMahieu, who had three hits in the opener, is batting 20-for-44 with eight extra-base hits (four doubles, triple, three homers), 12 RBIs and eight runs scored versus the Blue Jays this season.
3. New York 2B Gleyber Torres has missed three games with a core muscle injury, although manager Aaron Boone told reporters that he is considered day-to-day.