Sunday, July 14, 2019

#94 - Toronto Blue Jays (35-58) at New York Yankees (58-32)



Sunday, July 14, 2019 | 1:05 pm
Yankee Stadium | Bronx, N.Y.

Future Yankee Marcus Stroman (5-9, 3.18, 1.26) 
vs. 
Current Yankee Masahiro Tanaka (5-5, 3.86, 1.18)


PREAMBLE:

Coming off a tight, 2-1 win on Saturday, the Blue Jays look to win a series in Yankee Stadium for the first time since last September.  The Jays are 3-5 against the Yankees so far in 2019, currently their second straight losing season series after winning three in a row from 2015 to 2017.

Marcus Stroman has recovered sufficiently from his left shoulder cramp to take the ball in today's finale as he looks to rebuild his trade value in time for a big package.  He'll face off against the guy who replaced him on the All-Star roster, Masahiro Tanaka.  Tanaka is a career 11-5, 2.87 in 18 starts against the Jays.


NOTES:

If we're going to be trading Marcus Stroman, can it please be to the Padres instead of the Yankees so we could get someone like MacKenzie Gore as part of a package?  Smasher posted a tweet of Gore's first Double A strikeout here:  http://disq.us/p/232aybe

Quote from Aaron Judge after yesterday's game: 
"We just couldn't get it done," Judge said. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow now that their whole bullpen is basically used."

Let's shut him down in today's game, Marcus.


INJURY UPDATES:

Clayton Richard left yesterday's game after two innings with left lat tightness and went for a MRI.  Results should be known today.  LATE UPDATE: He's been placed on the IL with a left lat strain.  Ticket sales have reopened for The Edwin Jackson Experience after it was shut down for renovations.

Ken Giles reported soreness in his arm from a massage during the All-Star break and was unable to get fully loose while playing soft-toss before the game, so a decision was made to shut him down for the game.  Giles thinks it's minor and he'll be able to go today.


GOOD READING:

A nice article in The Athletic ($) by Fabian Ardaya about the Angels and the aftermath of Tyler Skaggs' passing.  "You can't make this stuff up..."


BLUE JAYS HISTORY:

Our one-time Jay of the Day is ... Bobby Cox!

Stats as a Jay:  355-292 (.549) and one division title

The first manager in Blue Jays history to turn in a winning season, Cox had a very long MLB career in various roles:

  • Originally signed by the Dodgers and later acquired by the Braves, he did not play a MLB game for either team.
  • Traded to the Yankees in December 1967 and played two seasons with the team as a third baseman before bad knees ended his career.
  • Started his managerial and coaching career in 1971 in the Yankees farm system.
  • Spent a year on Billy Martin's coaching staff in 1977.
  • Started his major-league managerial career in 1978 with the Atlanta Braves, managing the team for four years.
  • Hired by the Blue Jays in 1982 and gradually improved the team into a contender for the first time in franchise history, culminating in a division title and post-season berth in 1985.
  • Left the team to become general manager of the Braves in 1986.  As GM, he brought in Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Steve Avery, and David Justice, among other players.  He made the call to draft Chipper Jones with the first overall pick in 1990.
  • Wasn't happy with the direction of the team on the field after the 1990 season so he hired himself to be manager of the team for a second stint.
  • What a stint it was -- the 1991 team went from last to first, appearing in the World Series, and was the first of fourteen consecutive division titles (not counting the '94 season that ended in a strike).
  • Won his only World Series title in 1995, defeating the Cleveland Indians.
  • Holds the record for most ejections from a game, with 158.
  • Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2013.
  • Career managerial record: 2504-2001 (.556)


LINEUPS:


This is your "show 'em what you got, Stro" game threat.