Yankees arrive in Toronto with a chance to take back the division

Just when you thought the Yankees had played their way out of the division race, they won a couple of games at Citi Field this weekend and have arrived in Toronto with a chance to control their own destiny. These next three games are a legitimate opportunity to regain control of the American League East.

“I think you want a chance,” Joe Girardi said. “That’s all you can ask for in this game, to have an opportunity that’s in front of you. We need to play well there. We have not played particularly well against this club, and we know they’re extremely dangerous. But we need to have a good series.”

For the next three nights, the Yankees and Blue Jays meet in their final head-to-head series. Toronto’s visit to Yankee Stadium earlier this month was the biggest series of the season. Now this is the biggest series of the season.

The Opportunity
The Blue Jays just lost two of three against the Red Sox. They’ve lost back-to-back games for the first time since the Yankees took two in a row at Rogers Centre in mid-August. The Yankees just won back-to-back games at Citi Field and enter this series two games behind Toronto in the loss column. Sweep the series, and the Yankees will be in first place. Take two of three, and the Yankees will be a game back. Lose series, though, and the Yankees will be in a substantial hole with less than two weeks to play. These three games are an opportunity for each team.

The rotation
In this series of opportunity, the Yankees will not have any of their top four starters from Opening Day. Adam Warren started the season as team’s fifth starter, Luis Severino opened in Double-A, and Ivan Nova opened on the disabled list. Warren and Nova have each been moved from the rotation to the bullpen are different points this season. Losing Masahiro Tanaka significantly changed the way this Yankees rotation looks and feels heading into Toronto. Warren’s made one start in the past two-and-a-half months, Severino’s a rookie whose worst start of the year came against the Blue Jays, and Nova’s wildly unpredictable coming off a terrible start against these very same Blue Jays. Changing Wednesday’s starter from Tanaka to Nova was about as drastic a change as the Yankees could make.

The bullpen
After using all three of their go-to relievers in a five-run game on Saturday, the Yankees had another five-run lead on Sunday but managed to avoid using Justin Wilson, Dellin Betances or Andrew Miller. That leaves the Yankees’ bullpen in pretty good shape heading into Toronto. It seems unlikely Girardi will break his rule of never using relievers three days in a row, but perhaps he would make an excuse for Miller if he has three save opportunities? Remains to be seen. At the very least, Girardi should be able to use each of his top three relievers in two of the three games. Had the Yankees used any of them last night, they surely would have been limited to just one game apiece this series.

The return of A-Rod
For the past four days, Alex Rodriguez has been little more than a spectator. He’s had some pinch hit opportunities, but he’s mostly rested during another set of games in a National League park. Nearly every other time this season that Rodriguez has gotten an extended break like this, he’s returned to be very productive almost immediately upon stepping back into the lineup. This would certainly be a good series for him to continue that trend. Amazing how much different the Yankees’ lineup looks without him, especially against a left-handed starter.

The second base situation
Last time the Yankees faced David Price (tonight’s Toronto starter), they used Brendan Ryan at second base. Even with Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyder looming as right-handed alternatives, it’s not tonight’s Yankees second baseman that’s most intriguing. It will be more interesting to see who Girardi plays on Tuesday and Wednesday. The past two games against right-handed starters, Girardi’s gone with Dustin Ackley at second base instead of Stephen Drew. For months Girardi has been unconvinced he had a better second base option than Drew, but it seems he might be thinking differently about Ackley. He’s been a nice hitter since coming off the disabled list.

The Tulowitzki situation
It’s been a week and a half since new Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki cracked his shoulder blade while making a catch at Yankee Stadium. He hasn’t played since, and there’s little indication that he’ll play this week. Tulowitzki saw a specialist last week and is reportedly making progress, but there’s still no timetable for his return. Tulowitzki hasn’t hit a ton since being traded over from Colorado, but he’s certainly a bigger offensive threat than Cliff Pennington or any of the other Toronto middle infielders.

The same three starters
The Blue Jays are not pitching R.A. Dickey this series, but they are pitching David Price, Marco Estrada and Marcus Stroman. If those three names, in that order, seems familiar it’s because the Yankees have seen them before. It was Price, Estrada and Stroman who started those three games in a little more than 24 hours last Friday and Saturday. As you probably remember, the Blue Jays won all three of those games. Price has been both terrific and terrible in his past starts against the Yankees, Estrada has also bee a little hit-or-miss, and Stroman’s made just two starts this season but most recently went seven innings with one run. That kid is awfully good.

Associated Press photos

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