Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 4/20

And just like that it is game time here in the Bronx as the New York Yankees and Yankee Stadium play host to their division rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays. In the start tonight in the Bronx the Yankees will send Sonny Gray to the mound to face off with Marco Estrada for the Blue Jays. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, Marco Estrada who?, and go Yankees!!

A Yankees Day in the Life: Sonny Gray

Want to know what it would be like to walk a mile in tonight’s starter Sonny Gray’s shoes? Well, truth be told you will probably never get that opportunity, but you can come pretty close right now by watching the latest “A Day in the Yankees Life” story showcasing the young right-hander, Sonny Gray. Enjoy!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 4/20

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays continue their four-game set into the weekend tonight with the second game of the series inside Yankee Stadium. In the first matchup we watched as CC Sabathia and Aaron Sanchez squared off in a battle of the future for Toronto and the veteran presence for New York, and tonight we will all be entertained by an equally interesting matchup. Tonight the Yankees will send Sonny Gray to the mound to face off against Marco Estrada for the Blue Jays. Always fun against the Blue Jays, so let’s get to it in the Bronx.

Gray has reportedly been working on mechanical adjustments with pitching coach Larry Rothschild after the Boston Red Sox beat up on him in his last start to the tune of six runs allowed over three innings of work. In the start previous to his disaster in Boston the Yankees right-hander allowed just one run in four innings of work in Toronto while striking out eight.

Estrada had to leave his last start due to back spasms despite having a no-hitter going into the fourth inning. Estrada had trouble following through on his delivery in that start after the spasms began, but the team doctors have cleared him for his start tonight in the Bronx.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network locally and MLB Network if you are out of the Yankees market. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, the MLB At-Bat app or by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Enjoy the game, put up some crooked numbers, and go Yankees!!

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 9/22

Friday night baseball in Canada, eh, tonight between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. This series will be a series of two entirely different stories as the Yankees try to clinch a playoff spot this weekend while the Blue Jays look to simply play spoiler. Masahiro Tanaka will head to the mound for the Yankees looking to push that magic number down some more for New York while the Blue Jays will counter with Marco Estrada. The game will be played at 7:07 pm ET inside the Rogers Centre and can be seen on WPIX channel 11 and MLB TV. You can also follow along in your cars and on the radio by tuning into the WFAN broadcast.

Follow us on twitter by following @GreedyStripes and enjoy the game. Need a win, get a win all while crushing another team’s hopes and dreams along the way. Sounds like a great Friday night to me. Go Yankees!

Prediction: Yankees win 4-2

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 9/22

The New York Yankees head to Toronto and head into the weekend with one thing on their minds, winning games and clinching a playoff spot. The Boston Red Sox, the team the Yankees are chasing in the AL East Division, clinched a playoff spot on Wednesday night and now it’s the Yankees turn to do the same this weekend inside the Rogers Centre. Donned with the task of knocking another game or two off New York’s magic number is Masahiro Tanaka who will be on two extra days of rest tonight while the Blue Jays, who look to play spoiler, will counter with Marco Estrada. I’d love personally to clinch a spot at another AL East opponent’s expense so let’s get this done, Yankees style. Enjoy the game.

Tanaka heads into this start fresh off a good start against the Baltimore Orioles in his last start giving up two solo home runs in seven innings of work. Tanaka struck out eight in the Yankees victory, something the Japanese-born right-hander did the last time he faced off with the Toronto Blue Jays as well on August 9.

Estrada expected things to go much easier for himself here in 2017 but unfortunately, like I always say, you can’t predict baseball. Estrada has been better of late though for the Blue Jays allowing three earned runs or less in nine of his last 11 starts including a two-run over eight innings effort against the Minnesota Twins last time out.

The game will be played at 7:07 pm ET inside the Rogers Centre and can be seen on WPIX channel 11 and MLB TV. You can also follow along in your cars and on the radio by tuning into the WFAN broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Need a win, clinch a playoff spot this weekend, and get a win. Go Yankees!

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 8/10

And just like that ladies and gentleman it is game time in Toronto as the Toronto Blue Jays play host to the New York Yankees in the finale of their three-game set. In the finale of the series the Yankees will send Sonny Gray to the mound who will be making his second start of his Yankees tenure while the Blue jays will counter with Marco Estrada. The game will be played at 7:07 pm ET inside the Rogers Centre and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along on the radio and in your cars all season long by tuning into the WFAN broadcast.

Follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes and enjoy the game. Go Yankees, eh!!!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 8/10

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays will finish off their three-game set today inside the Rogers Centre with the third interesting pitching matchup of the series. Happy Sonny Gray Day ladies and gentleman as the Yankees send their newest toy and acquisition to the mound for the second time in his Yankees tenure. It’s a shame Gray couldn’t pitch tomorrow as the Yankees begin a series with the Boston Red Sox but what can you do, right? Opposing Gray on the mound for the Blue Jays today will be Marco Estrada. Good luck to both teams.

Gray took the loss in his Yankees debut against the Cleveland Indians allowing four runs, just two of them earned, on four hits in six innings of work. In Gray’s final start as a member of the Athletics the Toronto Blue Jays tagged Gray for four unearned runs.

Estrada has been solid in his last two starts lasting at least seven innings in both. Estrada will be making his team-leading 24^th start tonight for Toronto and will look to play spoiler for the Yankees who are still in the hunt for a playoff spot.

The game will be played at 7:07 pm ET inside the Rogers Centre in Toronto, eh, and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along in your cars and on the radio by tuning into the WFAN broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Enjoy the game and let’s get the hell out of Canada. Back to the states! Go Yankees!!

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 6/1

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays are set to begin their four-game weekend set tonight inside the Rogers Centre as our neighbors to the north, Canada, welcome America's team. To kick off the four game series the Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound while the Blue Jays will counter with Marco Estrada. The game will be played at 7:07 pm ET inside the Rogers Centre and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along in your cars and on the radio by tuning into WFAN.

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 6/1

Welcome to June baseball Yankees family and welcome to our neighbors from north of the border as the country of Canada, the Rogers Centre and the Toronto Blue Jays welcome the New York Yankees to town for a four-game set. Get your Mountie hats, ride your moose and let's get ready to kick some ass, eh?

Sabathia has had a crazy progression this season with the Yankees. Sabathia has gone from one of the Yankees best pitchers to one of the worst. One of the most reliable to on the cusp of being designated for assignment, pure speculation, or being moved to the bullpen to now secretly wishing, probably not true and is pure sarcasm, that Jordan Montgomery continues to struggle so it saves his roster spot. Which CC will we see tonight? Who freakin' knows?

Estrada is putting together a strong season for a struggling Blue Jays in 2017. Estrada has allowed two earned runs or less in eight of his last 11 starts this season and is striking out more batters than ever. This is going to be a tough matchup for the Yankees tonight, especially in Toronto.

The game will be played at 7:07pm ET inside the Rogers Centre, eh, and can be seen on the YESNetwork, MLB Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along on the radio and in your cars by tuning into the John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman broadcast, Mr. and Mrs. Baseball, on WFAN.

Enjoy the game and as always….. Go Yankees!!

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 8/16

Here we go for the second time in this three game series between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays inside Yankee Stadium. Tonight in the middle game of the series the Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound looking to harness some of those Big Mike magic powers while the Blue Jays will counter with another pitcher who has magical powers it seems, but only against the Yankees, in Marco Estrada. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

Follow along all season long with us by either liking our page on Facebook or by giving our Twitter handle @GreedyStripes a follow. We’re always around and always down to talk some Yankees baseball so come chat with us as we look to put the social aspect back in social media.

Big Mike and Marco Estrada. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 8/16

Another day in the second half and another tough matchup for the New York Yankees. I have to admit that four games before the All-Star Break, the series in Cleveland against the first place Cleveland Indians, I had the Yankees buried in the Wild Card chase, I had the Yankees selling at the deadline and I had the team in the gutter of the AL East Division right now due to a strong second half schedule that included many top teams in the league. The Yankees have defied the odds, defied the stats and used an injection of youth to keep the good times rolling more times than not in the Bronx and hopefully that continues tonight in the second game of a three game set in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Pineda was good in his last start as he held the Boston Red Sox to just two runs in six innings of work and has been good against Toronto in his one start against them this season. In that start on April 13^th Pineda allowed three runs, two of them earned, against a tough Blue Jays offense.

Estrada wasn’t so good in his last start lasting just five innings while giving up three runs and seven hits to the Tampa Bay Rays. Estrada doesn’t give up a lot of hits so in turn he doesn’t give up a lot of runs so this could be a frustrating game tonight for New York.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. Like I said earlier, another night in the Bronx and another tough starting pitcher and tough team to face for the Yankees. As long as they don’t lay down against the “easier” teams and keep up that same intensity we should be alright. Go Yankees!

Memorial Day Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 5/30

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays are spending Memorial Day in the land of our neighbors from the north as they prepare for the first game in their three-game set. In the contest the Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound looking to solidify his spot in the starting rotation while the Blue Jays will counter with Marco Estrada. The game will be played at 7:07 pm ET inside the Rogers Centre and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV.

I'm still hanging with my buddy from the Navy and slamming down hot dogs like my name was Babe Ruth so let's get to the game. Happy Memorial Day everyone and Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 5/30

It almost seems un-American to have the New York Yankees anywhere but in the Bronx for holidays such as Memorial Day and Independence Day and it especially seems like a slap in the face to 'Merica to have the greatest and most recognizable MLB team outside of the country, doesn't it? I'm over-exaggerating a bit and I realize that but I just wonder if the MLB schedule makers keep this stuff in mind when they make out the schedule or is this simply another instance where computers have taken over the world thus making us unable to think for ourselves. I digress though as we have a game tonight with the Toronto Blue Jays inside the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. In the contest the Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound to face off with a pitcher who shut them down last time out in Marco Estrada.

Nova's job seems safer than ever in the Yankees rotation after another great start last time out. Nova started the season in the Yankees bullpen but since a CC Sabathia injury shot him back into the rotation the right-hander has made the most of his opportunity in a contract year far exceeding both Michael Pineda and Luis Severino this season.

Estrada last faced the Yankees on Wednesday in his last start and allowed just three runs over seven innings of work in a Blue Jays victory. The Yankees will look to turn that around tonight and get a Memorial Day victory against our neighbors from the north. 

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside the Rogers Centre and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV. Let's show these Canadian's how the game of baseball, America's game, is played. Eh? Go Yankees!

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 5/25

Tonight the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays will play in the middle game of their three game set inside Yankee Stadium with all eyes on the pitching matchup. In tonight’s pitching matchup the Yankees will send the solid Ivan Nova to the mound to face off with an old Yankees nemesis Marco Estrada. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV.

The Yankees have an afternoon game tomorrow in the Bronx so click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog, snag a pair of tickets from Ticket Monster, play hooky and go root on our boys and CC Sabathia in the finale in the Bronx. If you can’t, adulting sucks I know, then at least head over to twitter and give @GreedyStripes a follow. We follow along and try to live tweet each and every game every season and this season is no exception!

Nova’s ready and so is the offense behind him. Are you? Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 5/25

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays continue their three-game series inside Yankee Stadium tonight with the middle game of the set. Last night the Yankees used the general rule of “if it’s high, let it fly. If it’s low, let it go” against the knuckle baller RA Dickey but tonight they can go back to the simple, yet effect, see the ball and crush the ball over the right field porch tactic. In the matchup the Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound presumably pitching for his job once again, remember Luis Severino is set to make a rehab start this weekend although it’s unlikely he comes back to the show right away, to square off with Marco Estrada for the Blue Jays.

Nova threw just 62 pitches in his last start against the Oakland Athletics while throwing six innings of work for the Yankees. Manager Joe Girardi decided to go to the bullpen prematurely despite the fact that Nova has allowed just one run and four hits in those six innings. Tonight marks Nova’s fourth start of the season as he looks to improve upon his 2-0 record and 1.65 ERA as a starter.

Estrada heads into tonight’s start fresh off a strong start last time out where he allowed just one run on three hits and a walk in eight innings of work. Estrada also struck out nine batters in the contest but did not figure in the decision. Estrada has not won a game since April 10^th.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV. In our Mega Prediction Game we run here on the blog year in and year out I boldly predicted a sweep for the Yankees this week but you know, I’ll just settle for a win tonight. Then I’ll settle for the same tomorrow. Go Yankees!

Yankees Season Dependent on the Blue Jays Pitching

The New York Yankees are expected to stay relatively quiet this winter with any activity the team sees likely to come on the trade market. The Bronx Bombers, the former kings of free agency, will likely stay away from the top tier free agents and have already seen many names and plenty of dollars come off the board already. New York’s primary concern is waiting out these albatross contracts that expire after the 2016 and 2017 seasons without adding more albatross contracts as knee jerk reactions to what the other teams in the American League East have done. The Yankees, a playoff team in 2015, are also looking to at least compete for a Wild Card and playoff spot in 2016 while this is all going down, will they make it back to the promised land?

The Red Sox are going to be better undoubtedly, although the Yankees finished nine games ahead of them in 2015, and all signs point to the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays taking a step back next season but what about the Toronto Blue Jays? Toronto has already lost David Price to the rival Boston Red Sox but have added a couple complimentary pieces in Jesse Chavez and JA Happ, will that be enough to replace the production left behind by Price? Not likely but one thing is for certain, the Yankees postseason hopes depend on those two arms.

The Blue Jays, assuming the health and effectiveness of Marcus Stroman, are a better team than the Yankees if Chavez and Happ pitch better than they did in 2015. Happ was a big part of the impressive second half push the Pittsburgh Pirates made in the NL Central Division last year while Chavez continued to bounce back and forth between the bullpen and the starting rotation in Oakland. We’ve seen glimmers of hope from both pitchers in the past, and recently mind you, but we’ve also seen both pitcher fail. Fail hard. Toronto needs both of them to compete this season, RA Dickey is not a suitable #2 starter anymore and I can’t see Marco Estrada replicating his 2015 season although I could be wrong, and if they don’t they may be on the outside looking in at the postseason this year.

Sure the Blue Jays will have one of the best, if not the best, offense in all of Major League Baseball in 2016. Ask the Yankees how well that worked out in the 2000’s. For the most part that and 75 cents got you a can of Coke.

Deciphering & Predicting the MLB Qualifying Offers

SD - Ian Kennedy

Kennedy is no longer the 20 game winner he was with the Arizona Diamondbacks but he's a good enough pitcher to decline the is qualifying offer and not think twice about it. Kennedy, the former Yankees prospect, will not regret it either. 

SD - Justin Upton

Upton fits the same mold as Kennedy in my opinion. He isn't a 30 home run threat anymore but he's an essential lock for 20-25 home runs and 100 RBI in the right lineup. Upton is on the right side of 30-years old and will likely receive the biggest contract of his career to date this offseason. That all starts with the decline of the qualifying offer. 

TEX - Yovani Gallardo

Gallardo fits the borderline mold of accepting or declining the qualifying offer, although I'm leaning towards him declining. Gallardo isn't an ace but he is an essential lock for 180+ innings and at least a 2.0+ WAR. That's not one-year deal material, he declines ultimately. 

SEA - Hisashi Iwakuma

Iwakuma actually wants to stay in Seattle, reportedly, or at least on the West Coast as close to his home land of Japan as possible. At 34-years old, 35-years old shortly after the 2016 season begins, Iwakuma may opt to take the almost double amount of salary on a one-year deal to stick in Seattle and close to home. ACCEPT. 

WAS - Ian Desmond

Desmond struggled for much of the 2015 season but he has the ability to be a plus offensive weapon at shortstop, traditionally an offensive anemic position. Desmond will reject the offer and some team will give Desmond a good contract, either as a shortstop or a second baseman. 

WAS - Jordan Zimmermann

Zimmermann is likely the best pitcher on the market, he denies it and cashes in huge. 

TOR – Marco Estrada

Estrada had a breakout season in 2015 and seems unlikely to accept a contract offer. Truth be told I’m not sure if anyone expects Estrada to replicate his 2015 season in 2016 and beyond, looking at his stat page it looks to be more of the exception than the rule, but there will be a few teams willing to go three years or longer on him leaving the decision to decline the offer an easy one to make.

CHW – Jeff Samardzija

Samardzija will most definitely decline the offer. When teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox desperately need top of the rotation type pitchers and are willing to bank on his live arm while ignoring the stats you will sign more than one year and $15.8 million.

KC – Alex Gordon

Alex is fresh off a World Series victory and is coming from a team where he could boast that he was one of the main and better offensive contributors on the team. Gordon, along with Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer, led the Royals offense to two consecutive World Series trips and to one World Series title making his decision to decline the offer an obvious one in my opinion.

STL – Jayson Heyward

Heyward is potentially looking at 10-years and $200 million or more. He’s the most obvious player to decline the offer in my opinion.

STL – John Lackey

Lackey is a man of his word and pitched without making trouble for only $500K this season with the St. Louis Cardinals. The raise from $500K to $15.8 million is a substantial one and I think it is one that Lackey will make when he is the first ever to accept a qualifying offer.

CHC- Dexter Fowler

This one I am truly on the fence about. I want to say that Fowler declines the offer but a part of me, maybe a gut feeling, believes he accepts the offer. The other 29 teams won’t be exactly beating down his door to sign him, not that he’s a bad player by any means, especially at an AAV approaching $16 million. Am I allowed to call for a push?

NYM- Daniel Murphy

Murphy went from the goat of the New York Mets to the G.O.A.T of the Mets in about eight at bats this postseason. He’s declining that offer and some sucker will sign him expecting similar results, look at the regular season and postseason splits for Pablo Sandoval and look at the contract the Boston Red Sox gave him. He declines.

BAL – Matt Wieters

Wieters is an interesting case. Wieters missed a significant chunk of time in 2014 and 2015 after having Tommy John surgery and never truly recovered from it in my opinion. His defense and specifically his ability to limit would-be base stealers has decreased along with his offensive production. About the only thing working in Wieters favor though is the fact that the catching position is basically anemic offensively across the league with a few obvious exceptions. Wieters will likely decline the offer and will likely land a modest deal in the neighborhood of three years but one thing we know for 100% fact, Wieters will not go to the New York Yankees as Buck Showalter predicted. I just love bringing up instances of Showalter being wrong, don’t mind me.

BAL – Chris Davis

Chris Davis led the world in home runs in 2015 putting to sleep all the rumors, allegations and questions regarding his power and output after being suspended for illegal drug use in 2014. Davis was suspended for Adderall use in 2014 and responded in a big way in 2015. No way he accepts it, Davis is going to get paid for every single one of those home runs he hit this season and then some.

BAL – Wei-Yin Chen

Chen is not an ace. Chen is left-handed and likely a middle-of-the-rotation type starter for most American League teams. The thing working in Chen’s favor though is that he’s been the ace for the Baltimore Orioles for two seasons now and is American League East and postseason tested. That alone will net him more than one year and $15.8 million. He’ll likely get a deal somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-years and $85 million in my opinion so he will decline.

HOU- Colby Rasmus

When I predicted the qualifying offers on the blog before the season officially ended one of my Twitter followers actually called me an idiot for saying that Rasmus would get one. He didn’t use those exact words, and I’m not going to quote it because they don’t deserve the attention for being a douche bag but I didn’t delete the tweet so it’s out there somewhere if you want to look hard enough, but it was something along the lines of “only an idiot would think Rasmus deserves a qualifying offer.” Well there’s at least two idiots in the world, me and the owner of the Astros. Rasmus would be an idiot to decline it, but he’s an idiot and will (he’s not an idiot, I was being tongue in cheek to stick with the “idiot” theme).

LAD – Zack Greinke

So let me get this straight, he opts out of his deal worth three years and $71 million to accept a qualifying offer? No one really thought that, did they? He declines and receives a Clayton Kershaw-esque deal. Just not from the Yankees.

LAD – Howie Kendrick

Kendrick plays a position that is dryer than the Nevada desert in the middle of the day in July offensively. Kendrick, as far as this free agent class goes anyway, is the Babe Ruth of second baseman so there is no way he accepts the qualifying offer. No way.

LAD- Brett Anderson

Another one I caught flak about when I predicted him receiving a qualifying offer and another one notched in the victory belt for the Greedy Pinstripes. Anderson has a live arm, he always has, and finally put it all together on the mound and in the training room. Anderson will try and bank on the fact, literally, that he had a contract season and he absolutely should. Anderson declines and some team, maybe even the Dodgers, signs him to a longer term deal around three years or so. 

Predicting the 2015 World Series

The Chicago Cubs and the Toronto Blue Jays, a 2015 World Series that I doubt anyone had before the season started. I know I didn't, I had the Washington Nationals and the Seattle Mariners, but I do know. I had the Blue Jays taking an easier route than the second Wild Card winning Chicago Cubs but the end result is the same. Who takes home their first World Series championship trophy in a long (and for the Cubs I mean A LONG) time.

Just as a reminder the American League won the 2015 All-Star Game so the Toronto Blue Jays will have home-field advantage throughout the World Series with games one, two, six and seven inside the Rogers Centre.

Game 1 - Rogers Centre

Jake Arrieta vs. David Price

Blue Jays win 4-1

Toronto leads best of seven series 1-0

Game 2 - Rogers Centre

Jon Lester vs. Marcus Stroman

Blue Jays win 9-4

Toronto leads best of seven series 2-0

Game 3 - Wrigley Field

Marco Estrada vs. Jason Hammel 

Cubs win 7-3

Toronto leads best of seven series 2-1

Game 4 - Wrigley Field

RA Dickey vs. Kyle Hendricks

Cubs win 3-1

Toronto and Chicago tied at 2-2

Game 5 - Wrigley Field

David Price vs. Jake Arrieta

Toronto wins 2-0

Toronto leads best of seven series 3-2

Game 6 - Rogers Centre

Jon Lester vs. Marcus Stroman

Cubs win 5-4

Toronto and Chicago tied at 3-3

Game 7 - Rogers Centre

Jake Arrieta vs. Marco Estrada

Cubs win 5-3

Cubs win 2015 World Series 4-3

That's it, the Chicago Cubs pull the upset. I've watched too much Back to the Future II.

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 9/22

Round Two between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays is ready to begin. The cut-men have done their work from last night’s affair and the manager’s and corner men have done all the talking their going to do for the evening. It’s time to get to work and it’s time to take a step closer to the postseason and closer to the top of the American League East Division. Tonight the Yankees will send Luis Severino to the mound looking to solve the puzzle that has been Marco Estrada for the Blue Jays. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, ESPN and MLB TV.

New York returns home on Thursday for the final eight games inside Yankee Stadium during the regular season. Barring a catastrophic collapse there will be a playoff game played inside the Bronx this season so be sure to click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog and grab you a pair of tickets now to see the team live before they are gone for the long, cold winter. Also be sure to give @GreedyStripes a follow on Twitter to interact with us and cheer for the Yankees during each and every Yankees game.

Severino is looking to avenge his worst start of his short MLB career tonight while the offense looks to solve the mystery that has been Marco Estrada this season. Go Yankees!

Marco Estrada in the Bronx in 2016?

Tonight we will watch what we have watched as a fan base pretty much all season long, we will watch the emergence of Marco Estrada for the Toronto Blue Jays. He’s had his ups and his downs this season but Estrada has been strong overall in 2015 leaving many to wonder if the right-hander will wear Toronto’s uniform next season. Estrada is set to hit free agency for the first time before the 2016 season and boasts a 3.14 ERA with a 4.42 FIP, 1.073 WHIP and a 126 ERA+. If the Blue Jays cannot afford him and their newfound juggernaut of an offense would Estrada made sense in a Yankees uniform in 2016?

Estrada has been a Yankee killer this season posting a 1-2 record with a 3.16 ERA in four starts. Estrada has struck out 14 Yankees while allowing just 20 hits combined as he has essentially turned the Bronx Bombers into the Bronx Bombless this season. Snatching him away from the Toronto Blue Jays is an automatic addition by subtraction in the American League East and would leave the Blue Jays not only without Estrada but without Price as well as the left hits free agency as well. Toronto could make a serious run at Price, especially without having Estrada at the top of the rotation to pair with Marcus Stroman, but the Blue Jays would not be without competition for his services making that signing far from a sure thing.

Would Estrada work inside Yankee Stadium for essentially 15 starts a season though? This season Estrada is giving up a league low 6.8 hits per nine innings and has given up a 1.2 HR/9 ratio, which is down from his career 1.4 HR/9 ratio, pitching his home games inside Rogers Centre. His walk numbers could be better at 2.9 BB/9, which is up from his career 2.5 BB/9, and hasn’t struck out as many batters as you’d like to instill confidence in you. Estrada is essentially striking out and walking as many batters as Nathan Eovaldi while giving up hits and home runs at a clip similar to Masahiro Tanaka to put this all into a frame of reference.

Estrada would not be an ace or maybe not even a #2 by any stretch of the imagination but he’d be better than Ivan Nova and at this point a marginal upgrade, or any upgrade for that matter, is still an upgrade. If the price is right and the team can move Nova in an offseason trade to possibly upgrade elsewhere then I say go for it. If the team wants to stand pat I think I’d feel confident in their chances but if they wanted to go all out and hand David Price a $200 million contract I think I’d feel much better with that too.