New York Yankees (33-32) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (33-31)
June 16, 2021 7:07 pm EDT
The Line: Toronto Blue Jays +166 / New York Yankees -180; Over/Under: -8.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays meet Wednesday in MLB action from Sahlen Field. This will be the second installment in a three-game set between these teams this week. In the Tuesday opener, the Yankees eked out a one-run comeback win. Check back all season long for free MLB picks at Sports Chat Place.
The Yankees have hit the skids lately, and lost both their weekend games versus the Phillies 8-7 and 7-0. In the Tuesday opener versus the Jays, New York fell behind early but was able to fight back in a 6-5 win. Jordan Montgomery went 5.1 innings with five hits and four earned.
For the starting pitcher role in the Wednesday game, the Yankees will send out Gerrit Cole. Over his 81.2 innings this year, Cole has 60 hits, 22 runs (21 earned), eight homers allowed, 11 walks, 113 Ks and a 2.31 ERA.
Over on the Blue Jays’ side, they managed to take two of four games versus the Red Sox over the weekend, winning Saturday and Sunday. In the Tuesday game, the Jays let a 5-2 lead slip away during the defeat. Hyun-jin Ryu managed 6.0 innings with three earned on five hits.
For the starter job in the Wednesday matchup, the Blue Jays will go with Ross Stripling. In his 47.2 innings of work this year, Stripling has 52 hits, 26 earned runs, nine homers allowed, 14 walks, 49 Ks and a 4.91 ERA.
The Yankees are 6-0 in their last six Wednesday games and 11-4 in their last 15 in game two of a series. New York is 3-7 in their last 10 versus a right-handed starter and the under is 7-1-1 in their last nine Wednesday games.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are 6-0 in their last six in game two of a series and 4-1 in their last five Wednesday games. The under is 5-1-1 in their last seven in game two of a series and the over is 3-1-2 in the last six Wednesday games.
PICK: I’m going to stick with the Blue Jays here. Stripling gave up four earned in 5.2 innings during his last outing, but prior to that he had a stretch of two earned in 17.0 innings across three starts. As for Cole, he’s given up seven earned on 10 hits in 11.0 innings over his last two starts, which is a lot for the Yankees’ ace. This will probably be a lower-scoring game but the Jays have as good a chance against New York as anyone these days.
