Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees

Bronx, NY

By Bush StaffUpdated 5h ago·2 min read

TOR

NYY

AT

1:35 PM ET

The Yankees have been the hotter team all month, and Toronto is running out of season to figure out why — Sunday's finale in the Bronx closes out a series that's already told part of that story.

First pitch Sunday is set for 1:35 PM ET, and the pitching matchup tilts toward two arms trending in opposite directions. José Soriano takes the ball for Toronto off a 10-6 mark and a 3.23 ERA, while Carlos Rodón goes for New York carrying a 4-2 record and a nearly identical 3.22 ERA — the numbers are close to a coin flip, even if the two clubs around them aren't.

Rodón's last time out came on a 66-pitch cap in a no-decision against Baltimore, the kind of workload management that suggests the Yankees still aren't fully trusting his innings count. Soriano, meanwhile, logged a win and 91 pitches in his last start despite allowing 9 hits to Tampa Bay. Neither staff is at full strength beyond its starter — Toronto is nursing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. back from a concussion and Andrés Giménez through hamstring tightness, while the Yankees are still without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the middle of the order.

This is the back end of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium — Toronto dropped the opener 3-1, and the two clubs meet again Saturday, so whatever the bullpen and lineup pictures look like right now could look different by the time Sunday's first pitch rolls around.

New York's stretch has been built on more than beating up on Baltimore — closing out the opener against Toronto made it 5 straight wins, and the roster has done it without Judge, Stanton or a fully healthy rotation behind Rodón. Toronto's stretch has been choppier: a strong showing against Tampa Bay sandwiched between two losses to the Yankees, the kind of split that keeps the Jays treading water in the AL East picture rather than climbing out of it.

The injury report explains a lot of both trajectories. Guerrero's rehab assignment is the clearest sign Toronto's lineup could get more dangerous soon, but soon won't necessarily mean Sunday. On the other side, Aaron Boone has floated Cody Bellinger rejoining the Yankees as early as this game, which would hand New York another bat right as its rotation searches for length behind a Rodón who's still building back up. Whichever version of each roster shows up Sunday, this series has already made clear which team is playing with more margin for error right now.

Sources

MLBToronto Blue JaysNew York YankeesPolymarketKalshi