Toronto shoots to bounce back in New York
Embroiled in a challenging stretch of the schedule, Toronto manager John Gibbons tried to sneak a rest day for a pair of his veterans. The gamble didn’t exactly pay off.
With Russell Martin and Troy Tulowitzki on the pine, the Blue Jays dropped a 5-3 verdict to the Yankees about 18 hours ago. Online sports book Bovada.lv thoroughly expects the visitors to bounce back this evening, though, listing them as 1.5-run favorites in the Bronx. Conversely, New York represents a +140 underdog.
The AL East leaders’ did very little damage against Masahiro Tanaka in the series opener. Then again, Toronto’s much-ballyhooed offense isn’t exactly operating at full tilt right now. For a team that relies on the long ball, it has belted only one homer and six extra-base hits in the past four contests.
Perhaps that changes vs. Luis Cessa. After zooming through his first two starts in the majors, the righty encountered a speed bump vs. the Royals last week. Cessa surrendered three runs – and two dingers – across six innings. He’s 4-0 with a 1.09 WHIP on the season.
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On the other side, Aaron Sanchez draws his second assignment following a respite in the minors. The talented hurler’s brief stint at the Class AAA level had nothing to do with performance, but rather reflected the organization’s desire to protect the 24-year-old’s arm. Sanchez ranks first on the staff in ERA and second in wins.
Given Cessa’s susceptibility to the big blast, we can’t help but think that the Blue Jays will tee off on at least a couple of occasions. Look for fireworks aplenty, particularly in Toronto’s favor.
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