The Toronto Blue Jays managed to snap their five-game losing streak with a narrow 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday, but a greater challenge awaits them on Sunday afternoon when they face Yankees ace Max Fried. The scheduled Saturday matchup was postponed due to rain, setting up Sunday's crucial contest in the Bronx.
Friday's win came with a dose of late-game heroics for the Blue Jays, who were limited to just one run through eight innings before Alejandro Kirk delivered a clutch two-run double in the ninth inning to secure the victory. Despite reaching the .500 mark in the opening month, Toronto's offensive struggles continue to be a concern.
The Blue Jays' batting woes are evident in their league rankings—25th in RBI (87), 26th in slugging percentage (.348), and a concerning 29th in home runs (14). Key players have been particularly quiet at the plate, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. producing just one RBI in his last eight appearances and George Springer managing only three in his previous ten games.
Facing Fried presents an especially daunting task for the struggling Toronto lineup. The left-hander has been nearly untouchable recently, boasting a pristine 1.00 ERA over his last four starts. In his most recent outing against Tampa Bay, he dominated with 7⅔ scoreless innings while allowing just two hits. Opposing batters are hitting a meager .186 against the first-year Yankee.
According to Statbet analysis, the Blue Jays' early-inning production—averaging exactly two runs through the first five innings this season—faces significant headwinds against Fried's dominance, suggesting potential value in the under for Toronto's early scoring.
The Blue Jays will counter with Kevin Gausman, who brings respectable numbers to the mound with a 3.16 ERA and 0.86 WHIP through his first five starts. The right-hander has allowed three or fewer earned runs in four of those appearances.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge enters the contest riding a six-game hitting streak, including three multi-hit performances during that span. His bat remains a bright spot in what shapes up as a potential pitchers' duel between two quality starters.
With Toronto averaging just 2.11 runs per game over their last nine outings and both teams sending strong arms to the mound, Sunday's game projects to be a low-scoring affair as the Blue Jays attempt to build on their momentum from Friday's victory.
