If there is a save situation, who gets the chance for the New York Yankees will be a big storyline.
The Toronto Blue Jays hope there won’t be any save opportunities for the Yankees on Sunday afternoon when the American League East rivals play a doubleheader in New York. The teams’ scheduled game Saturday was rained out.
Left-hander Max Fried (4-0, 1.42 ERA) is scheduled to start the opener for the Yankees and oppose right-hander Kevin Gausman (2-2, 3.16).
New York’s Clarke Schmidt (0-1, 7.45) is set to face Chris Bassitt (2-1, 1.88) in the second game in a matchup of right-handers.
After going 9-for-90 at the plate and getting swept in a three-game series at Houston, the Blue Jays stopped a five-game losing streak Friday by scoring three runs in the ninth off struggling New York reliever Devin Williams in a 4-2 victory.
Alejandro Kirk hit a two-run double off Williams, who fell behind each of the three hitters he faced without getting an out.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also homered for the Blue Jays, who have 14 homers this season. By contrast, the Yankees have 41.
“It feels great. I needed it,” Kirk said through an interpreter, “and the team needed it. I’m very happy, just very happy about it.”
Kirk’s hit gave Williams his first blown save, though the right-hander has been shaky this season and was pulled from a non-save chance on April 9 in Detroit.
Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in December for Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin, Williams has an 11.25 ERA and an 0-2 record in his first 10 outings.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone seemed to hint that Williams would get a breather from the closer role after the Yankees lost for the fourth time in six games.
“We’ll kind of talk through that stuff,” Boone said. “This is raw right now. We want to do everything we can to get (Williams) right because we know how good he is and how valuable he’s going to be for us.”
If the Yankees make a change, Luke Weaver likely would get save chances. Weaver became New York’s closer in the final month of last season.
Since allowing six runs (two earned) in 4 2/3 innings of a no-decision against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 29, Fried is 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his past four outings.
Fried turned in his second scoreless outing this season when he allowed two hits in a season-high 7 2/3 innings Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Fried got a season-high 13 ground-ball outs and threw 102 pitches while losing a no-hit bid on a scoring change in the eighth inning of a 4-0 win.
Fried is 2-0 with an 0.95 ERA in three career starts against Toronto.
Gausman will start on Sunday after allowing a season-worst four runs on six hits in six innings during a 7-0 loss at Houston on Monday. He is 10-9 with a 3.63 ERA in 35 career appearances (29 starts) against the Yankees.
Schmidt will make his third start since returning from a shoulder injury and allowed five runs on seven hits in four innings of a 6-4 loss at Cleveland on Monday. He is 0-3 with a 3.06 ERA in six career appearances (three starts) against Toronto.
Bassitt allowed two runs in his first four starts before giving up a season-high four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings on Tuesday in a 5-1 loss at Houston. He is 3-0 with an 0.82 ERA in five career starts against the Yankees and has held them to a .202 batting average.
–Field Level Media
