GDT - Blue Jays @ Yankees 3/3 - 7:05PM EST

[Pendleton]

Blue Jays

 

1. Kevin Pillar ® CF

2. Jose Bautista ® RF

3. Russell Martin ® C

4. Kendrys Morales (S) DH

5. Justin Smoak (S) 1B

6. Steve Pearce ® LF

7. Devon Travis ® 2B

8. Darwin Barney ® 3B

9. Ryan Goins (L) SS

 

RHP Marcus Stroman (2-2 2.97 ERA)

 

 

@

 

 

Yankees

 

1. Brett Gardner (L) LF

2. Aaron Hicks (S) CF

3. Matt Holliday ® DH

4. Starlin Castro ® 2B

5. Aaron Judge ® RF

6. Chase Headley (S) 3B

7. Chris Carter ® 1B

8. Ronald Torreyes ® SS

9. Kyle Higashioka ® C

 

LHP CC Sabathia (2-1 4.31 ERA)

 

From http://m.bluejays.mlb.com/news/

 

Stroman to face CC in NY homecoming

 

By Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com | May 2nd, 2017

 

Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman will enjoy a homecoming of sorts when he takes the mound on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.

 

The native of nearby Medford, N.Y., is set to make his fifth career appearance at the ballpark that is approximately a one-hour drive from where he grew up. Family and friends will once again be in attendance as he's matched up against veteran lefty CC Sabathia in the series finale.

 

Stroman is coming off back-to-back quality starts vs. the Rays and Angels, which saw him allow four runs over 16 1/3 innings. He has surrendered two runs or fewer in all but one of his five starts this season, but he has just two wins to show for it due to a lack of run support.

"Just kind of struggling right now with this squad to get wins," Stroman said after his last start. "But everyone is doing what they need to be doing between each start to make sure they're ready to go out there. It's just a matter of things turning around for us."

 

Sabathia is coming off a very rough outing vs. the Orioles that saw him surrender seven runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings. He served up a 470-foot blast to Manny Machado but New York still found a way to rally with an epic 14-11 victory over its divisional rival.

"I felt like I was just trying to do too much," Sabathia said. "That's normally not me. I'm pretty good at staying within myself and going out there and giving that best effort. For some reason I just wanted to make everything nasty and just got myself into trouble."

 

Three things to know about this game

• Stroman racked up a career-high five strikeouts with his four-seam fastball in his last start, against the Rays. He threw the pitch 42.9 percent of the time in two-strike counts, easily his highest single-game rate of the Statcast Era.

 

• Jose Bautista has faced Sabathia more than anybody else in the Blue Jays' lineup, but he doesn't have much success against the former Cy Young Award winner. Bautista has just five hits in 40 at-bats. Kendrys Morales has fared much better with six hits in 20 at-bats, including a homer and four RBIs.

 

• Since 1967, Sabathia is one of three pitchers to start at least one game for the Yankees in nine consecutive seasons. Ron Guidry (1977-88) and Andy Pettitte (1995-2003) are the others.

 

 

GDT Record 1-0

[Terminator]

Jays win this one to take the series. 5-3.

[wk680]

Hopefully Morales continues his success versus Sabathia in this game. Also RH hitting version of Smoak hopefully continues to produce.

[Spanky99]

LETS GO BLUE JAYS *CLAP, CLAP* *CLAP, CLAP, CLAP*

 

LETS GO BLUE JAYS *CLAP, CLAP* *CLAP, CLAP, CLAP*

 

LETS GO BLUE JAYS *CLAP, CLAP* *CLAP, CLAP, CLAP*

 

 

TAKE THE SERIES BIRDS!!!!

[Jonn]

Easy win.

[Laika]

Steve Pearce is poised to breakout. Huge night yesterday and now he's got a mashable lefty on the mound.

 

I believe in Steve

[Omar]

Martin in the 3 spot second game in a row. Don't get it. I know he has had some big games at Yankee Stadium in the past but.....

[THANOS]

I hope Martin took notes from the Maile/Stroman start and starts calling the 4SM more with 2 strikes. The data in the OP can't be denied.

[Terminator]

Prediction:

 

Marcus Stroman shows Aaron Judge that Height Doesn't Measure Heart™ by striking him out twice and keeping him without a hit.

 

During the game Arash Madani (who weighs three times as much as the 180 lb. Stroman) gives a hot take about the size difference between the two.

[Governator]

Martin in the 3 spot second game in a row. Don't get it. I know he has had some big games at Yankee Stadium in the past but.....

 

Probably more to do with the fact that he's one of our best bats when you look past his season avg...

[Terminator]

So is Pillar just hot or has he had some sort of true talent change? He looks good at the plate.

[Orgfiller]

So is Pillar just hot or has he had some sort of true talent change? He looks good at the plate.

 

It's still early but he legitimately looks very good. However, most of his peripherals are along career norms, except for a decrease in O-Swing rate, which is huge because he's Pillar.

[Orgfiller]

Steve Pearce is BACK

[King]

Steve has arrived

[Terminator]

Good to get that run in after the two quick outs.

[Candy Maldonado]

Pearce!!!!

[candymartinez]

Beauty start!

[Terminator]

Hell yeah Pearce

[Pendleton]

Steve Pearce ladies and gentlemen

[Daniel Labude]

On ESPN they were talking about how bad of an AB Martin had. That there is no way he should not have crushed the 3-2 hanging slider because there was no way CC was going to throw a fastball

 

Good job Smoak!

 

Amazing Pearce!

[bones10]

Pearce tho

[Daniel Labude]

Steve Pearce ladies and gentlemen

 

He is on fire last 5 ABs

[Orgfiller]

He is on fire last 5 ABs

 

It may be 5 ABs, but his wRC+ has gone from 2 to 86, ISO from .000 to .186.

[gruber92]

What a start !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jonn]

He's Pearcing our hearts.

[Terminator]

Could not have asked for a better start. Let's get a goose egg here

[Jonn]

Would be nice if Gardner didn't play like prime Kenny Loften against us.

[gruber92]

f*** Gardiner is annoying as f***.

[Orgfiller]

Brett Gardner will not f*** off.

[Captain Adama]

It's still early but he legitimately looks very good. However, most of his peripherals are along career norms, except for a decrease in O-Swing rate, which is huge because he's Pillar.

 

Yeah I just looked, his O-swing is 7 points down from last year which is huge in any circumstance, (obviously SSS) and his z-swing is up. Which would suggest his pitch recognition has improved greatly. Either way, his contact rates are up.

 

Watch and learn folks.