Yankees at Blue Jays
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. unabashedly is dispelling the myth that the Home Run Derby has a detrimental result on a hitter's swing, as the rookie is batting a robust .330 with 13 extra-base hits and 26 RBIs since the All-Star break. Guerrero looks to continue his torrid hitting on Sunday as the host Toronto Blue Jays bid for their third straight win in the finale of a four-game series against the New York Yankees.
Guerrero slapped a go-ahead, two-run triple in the seventh inning and Teoscar Hernandez followed up his two-homer performance with a three-run shot in the Blue Jays' 5-4 victory on Saturday afternoon. While Toronto has homered in 15 consecutive contests, New York has gone deep on multiple occasions in a season-high nine straight games after Gio Urshela launched a two-run blast in the sixth inning on Saturday. The 27-year-old Urshela has six homers in his last five contests while 20 of his last 29 hits have gone for extra bases for the Yankees. Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka will look to prevent New York's fifth losing skid of at least three games this season in the finale versus the Blue Jays, who have won nine of their last 13 contests.
TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, YES (New York), Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (7-6, 4.93 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Trent Thornton (4-7, 5.55)
Tanaka allowed at least five runs for the third time in four outings on Monday but walked away with his second straight no-decision after his high-powered offense continued its domination of Baltimore. The 30-year-old Japan native has split a pair of decisions while permitting two homers in each of his two starts versus Toronto this season. Randal Grichuk has three homers among his four hits against Tanaka, who in turn has flustered Justin Smoak (2-for-26, nine strikeouts).
Like Tanaka, Thornton was also fortunate to escape with a no-decision in his last trip to the mound on Tuesday after yielding three homers and six runs total in 3 2/3 innings against Tampa Bay. The 25-year-old received the same fate in both starts versus New York this season, as he allowed four runs and three walks in five frames on June 5 before being taken deep twice in 3 1/3 innings three weeks later. DJ LeMahieu is 3-for-5 with a homer against Thornton while Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius have also gone deep versus the hurler.
WALK-OFFS
1. Toronto rookie SS Bo Bichette is 0-for-7 with four strikeouts after beginning his career with an 11-game hitting streak.
2. New York OF Mike Tauchman is 15-for-33 with six home runs, 16 RBIs and nine runs scored in his last 10 contests.
3. Grichuk, who homered on Friday, is 1-for-12 with six strikeouts in the series.