Are the Blue Jays Close to Blowing It Up?

The Toronto Blue Jays came into the 2016 MLB season as the defending American League East champions and a team that was fresh off a trip to the American League Championship Series. While David Price had left for Boston via free agency and Mark Buehrle had retired, unofficially, the team felt good about their offseason additions and a full season of Marcus Stroman in the rotation but that plan hasn't gone as planned thus far. Over the weekend while the Yankees were whooping up on the Oakland Athletics the Blue Jays, who come to town tomorrow night, slipped into last place in the American League East Division. Also over the weekend the team announced that they are making relief pitcher Drew Storen available leaving many, or maybe just me, to wonder if the team isn't as confident in their chances this season as they originally thought.

The trade of a relief pitcher is relatively minor in most cases but I think it's especially important for Toronto. The reason they got Storen from the Washington Nationals this winter was because their bullpen was suspect and with the injury of Brett Cecil a trade of Storen would leave their bullpen suspect once again. Now this isn't as simple as having a warm body in the bullpen, the Blue Jays have their reasons for wanting to trade Storen, but I think this may be just the beginning of trades for Toronto if the losing continues to occur.

Storen hasn't been the Storen that was bumped out of the closer role in Washington by Jonathan Papelbon since coming over to Toronto. He's allowing a hit and a half roughly per inning and over a run per inning pitched although the sample size of 15 innings is hardly something concrete in my opinion. Storen is still healthy and still striking out almost 10 batters per nine innings while limiting walks but the production just hasn't been there in Toronto like it was in Washington. Maybe his dip in velocity is to blame?

Even with Storen struggling I think it's far too early in the season to make him available if the team wants to compete. If the team plans on competing in 2016 they wouldn't be making him available in May after just 15 innings. That's just my opinion and maybe I'm wrong but the last time I saw an AL East fire sale coming I got killed on Twitter for announcing it early. About 15 traded later with the Tampa Bay Rays and the fire sale was over. I was criticized for being right then, will I be this time as well?

Stay tuned.

Jason Stark's Strange But True Feats from 2015

Every season Jason Stark of ESPN releases a set of "Strange But True" feats from the previous season and also releases the same post just for the postseason. Unfortunately the Yankees, despite making the postseason, were not involved in the postseason strange but true posts but they were mentioned more than once in the regular season feats. Head on over to ESPN and check out Jason's article SEEN HERE and I am going to sample some of the Yankees related material here to garner interest. Be sure to check out his post for the entire post and all the Yankees related material, plus he deserves a click or two for his awesome work. Enjoy.

-- The Yankees faced four position players as pitchers this season. Chris Young, the former Yankees fourth outfielder, hit a home run off of Atlanta Braves (at the time) outfielder Jonny Gomes but struck out in the same season against Adam Rosales, a Texas Rangers infielder. The Yankees didn't just face positional players as pitchers though they also threw out some of their own including Brendan Ryan who pitched two scoreless innings for the team. The last position player to get six outs as a pitcher for the Yankees was Gene Michael in 1968.

-- Mark Buehrle beat the Yankees this season, this was the first time he did so in 11 seasons. Who could blame him if he retired this offseason? Buehrle went 148 games against the club without winning a game, that has to be some sort of record.

-- Didi Gregorius did something that his predecessor never did, he drove in six runs in a single game. I find that pretty hard to believe but Derek Jeter never drove in six runs in a single game, wow. Gregorius did it in his 120th MLB game while Jeter, including the postseason, played in 2,505 games and never did it. No Suzyn, you can't predict baseball.

-- The final bit of Yankees related news relates to the powerful offense led by Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira. The Yankees eclipsed the 20 run plateau not once but twice in a single game in 2015 , both times on the road to boot.

Recap: Blue Jays 5, Yankees 1

CC Sabathia took yet another uncompetitive loss, surrendering four earned runs in 6 1/3 innings as the Yankees dropped the rubber game to the Blue Jays, 5-1, on Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.

Sabathia Stumbles: The big lefty blew an early 1-0 lead in the second when Ezequiel Carrera connected on a two-run single to right, and wasn't much better from then on. He served up a solo home run to Russell Martin in the sixth, ultimately finishing with nine hits and two walks under his belt. 

No Offense: The Yankees' bats struggled mightily against the Blue Jays' pitching staff on the evening, recording just six hits in five innings off the floundering Mark Buehrle. They plated a quick run in the first on a Mark Teixeira groundout and stranded the bases loaded in the fifth, but failed to seriously threaten once the bullpen entered.

Not Exactly Helpful: Down 2-1 with Martin on in the fifth, Sabathia committed a costly balk to advance him to scoring position -- setting up the red-hot Chris Colabello for an RBI single moments later. It was Sabathia's first illegal motion since April of 2013, as well the sixteenth of his career.

Make That Nine Now: Thanks to a blooper that found grass in the aforementioned top of the fifth, Jacoby Ellsbury was able to extend his current hitting streak to nine games -- the longest such streak presently on the Yankees. The single was Ellsbury's only knock in four at-bats in the contest, though he is still 24 for his last 53 overall. 

A Solid Debut: Added to the roster earlier in the day for the first time this season, utility man Jose Pirela went 2-for-4 for the Yankees -- hustling for a double in the third following a sharp line drive to left. Pirela hit ninth and played second base in the Yanks' starting lineup, having no problems defensively in replacement of Didi Gregorius.

Next Up: The Yankees head back to New York on Thursday when they host the Orioles in the first of four at Yankee Stadium -- beginning at 7:05 p.m. ET and airing live on MLB Network. Nathan Eovaldi (2-0, 3.81 ERA) will get the nod for the Yankees looking to build off a strong outing in Boston, facing slumping O's right-hander Chris Tillman (2-3, 6.23 ERA).

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 5/6

The finale between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays plays out tonight inside the Rogers Centre as these two teams continue to fight for American League East supremacy. We have watched two very well played, well-pitched and efficient games thus far and expect nothing less tonight between Mark Buehrle and CC Sabathia for their respected teams. The game will be played at 7:07 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

Get your Yankees tickets now just in time for the Yankees to return home to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium tomorrow when the team plays host to the Baltimore Orioles for four quick games. If you use our Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog you can get your tickets, not a cheap print off, in hand without having to pay shipping or any fees whatsoever with our partnership through Ticket Monster. If you can’t afford those Steinbrenner prices them jump on the comments section or Twitter (@GreedyStripes) and interact with us during this game and every single game all season long.

Without further ado I present to you Mr. Buehrle who is taking the mound for the Blue Jays and is ready to get this game underway. Beat Buehrle (again) and go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 5/6

The New York Yankees have one more game out on the road inside the Rogers Centre before returning home to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium, that game is tonight. Tonight the Yankees face off with the Toronto Blue Jays one more time with a familiar face on the mound in Mark Buehrle. Buehrle has nightmares about pitching against the Yankees, and for good reason, and the starter for New York, CC Sabathia, hopes to make this more like a recurring nightmare tonight in Toronto. The game will be played at 7:07 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• Sabathia is still winless this season despite pitching well enough to win in more than one of his starts including his last against the Boston Red Sox. Sabathia pitched six innings giving up two runs and seven hits in Fenway Park but walked away with a no decision in a game that the Yankees eventually won 3-2.

• Buehrle has had two straight bad starts this season not making it out of the sixth inning in either of them. Buehrle has a 3-2 record with a 6.75 ERA and has the demons in the back of his head that he named New York lining things up for a great night for the Yankees offense.

As long as Buehrle is on the mound the Yankees have a chance to win no matter what the score so you really have to feel good about getting a victory tonight. Buehrle is due to beat the Yankees, don’t get me wrong, but I just can’t see him collecting tonight after the season he has had to date. It seems like Toronto placed Buehrle in the 4^th spot of their rotation simply to miss the Yankees in the first series of the season but he could not miss the Bronx Bombers this time around, make him pay. Go Yankees!

My Gold Glove Award Ballot

On Thursday afternoon Rawlings released their ballots for the 2014 American League and National League Gold Glove Awards. Personally I take the Fielding Bible Awards more seriously than the Gold Glove Award but I will predict them either way. It's slow around here :) so leave your predictions in the comments.

*winner prediction is bolded

AL Pitcher
Mark Buehrle, Blue Jays (4)
Felix Hernandez, Mariners (0)
Dallas Keuchel, Astros (0)

NL Pitcher
Zack Greinke, Dodgers (0)
Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers (1)
Adam Wainwright, Cardinals (2)

AL Catcher
Alex Avila, Tigers (0)
Yan Gomes, Indians (0)
Salvador Perez, Royals (1)

NL Catcher
Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers (0)
Russell Martin, Pirates (1)
Yadier Molina, Cardinals (6)

AL First Base
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (0)
Eric Hosmer, Royals (1)
Albert Pujols, Angels (2)

NL First Base
Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers (3)
Adam LaRoche, Nationals (1)
Justin Morneau, Rockies (0)

AL Second Base
Robinson Cano, Mariners (2)
Ian Kinsler, Tigers (0)
Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox (3)

NL Second Base
DJ LeMahieu, Rockies (0)
Brandon Phillips, Reds (4)
Chase Utley, Phillies (0)

AL Shortstop
Alcides Escobar, Royals (0)
J.J. Hardy, Orioles (2)
Alexei Ramirez, White Sox (0)

NL Shortstop 
Zack Cozart, Reds (0)
Adeiny Hechavarria, Marlins (0)
Andrelton Simmons, Braves (1)

AL Third Base
Adrian Beltre, Rangers (4)
Josh Donaldson, Athletics (0)
Kyle Seager, Mariners (0)

NL Third Base
Nolan Arenado, Rockies (1)
Pablo Sandoval, Giants (0)
Juan Uribe, Dodgers (0)

AL Left Field
Michael Brantley, Indians (0)
Yoenis Cespedes, Athletics/Red Sox (0)
Alex Gordon, Royals (3)

NL Left Field
Starling Marte, Pirates (0)
Justin Upton, Braves (0)
Christian Yelich, Marlins (0)

AL Center Field
Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox (0)
Adam Eaton, White Sox (0)
Adam Jones, Orioles (3)

NL Center Field
Billy Hamilton, Reds (0)
Juan Lagares, Mets (0)
Denard Span, Nationals (0)

AL Right Field
Kole Calhoun, Angels (0)
Kevin Kiermaier, Rays (0)
Nick Markakis, Orioles (1)

NL Right Field
Jason Heyward, Braves (1)
Gerardo Parra, Diamondbacks/Brewers (2)
Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins (0)

Ellsbury Drives in Three in 5-3 Win Over Blue Jays

Hiroki Kuroda gave up just 3 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings and Jacoby Ellsbury drove in three before leaving with a hamstring injury tonight as the Yankees won their third straight game in relatively stress-free fashion, 5-3, over the visiting Blue Jays. 

In this contest's top of the first, after Derek Jeter made a nice defensive play that forced Jose Reyes between second and third, the Yanks fell behind early on an Edwin Encarnacion two-run shot off the left field foul pole, putting them in a pretty discouraging hole with Mark Buehrle (6 IP, 5 ER) on the mound.

Nonetheless, thanks to a single to left by Brian McCann in the first and a two-run home run by Ellsbury in the third New York was in the driver's seat for the majority of this one, with Ellsbury also getting a man home with a strange play in the fourth.

Facing Buehrle with the bases loaded and one out in that frame, Ellsbury hit a hard groundball to second, scoring Stephen Drew before a Jose Reyes throwing error let Chase Headley cross home, too.

So, within a four frame period this evening the Yankees turned a multi-run deficit into a three-run advantage, one that'd hold until the end due to the aforementioned heroics by Kuroda as well as a pair of late jam-escapes by Esmil Rogers and Adam Warren, who would also record a save in the game with a perfect five-out appearance.

Yankees Rally in Seventh to Beat Blue Jays in Opener

Chris Capuano cruised through 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball and Brett Gardner got the offense started with a top of the seventh double tonight as the Yankees excitingly beat the Blue Jays, 6-3, in the series opener at Rogers Centre. 

For the majority of this contest, strangely, the Yanks' bats couldn't do anything against Mark Buehrle, never scoring or threatening in frames 1-6. 

Nonetheless, in the aforementioned seventh their inconsistent offense randomly caught fire, crossing home five times in an unconventional way.

How unconventional, exactly? Well, after Brian McCann doubled and Carlos Beltran walked to start the at-bat Brett Gardner lined said double off the right field wall, driving in McCann and getting Beltran to third. 

However, surprisingly Beltran actually wouldn't have to stop 90 feet short on that play, jogging home easily following an into-the-crowd throw by Steve Tolleson, an error that also moved Gardner to third.

Then after the infield was brought in, Ichiro reached on an infield single and Dioner Navarro let Gardner score by putting a snap throw into left field, setting up a line-drive two-run home run by Jacoby Ellsbury to make it 5-1.

No, the game wasn't over at that point, but once Adam Warren got out of a jam in Toronto's next chance the circumstances were definitely in the visitors' favor, with another homer by Chase Headley in the ninth only making things better.

8/29 Yankees Game Preview vs. Toronto Blue Jays

The New York Yankees will finish out the month of August with a three game set starting tonight in Rogers Centre in Toronto. The Toronto Blue Jays and the Yankees are chasing a common goal, the second Wild Card spot in the American League, and go head to head tonight in what could ultimately decide the standings for both teams. The Yankees will send Chris Capuano to the mound tonight to face off with Mark Buehrle. The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Capuano continues to give the Yankees gritty performances and continues to keep the team in games that he starts. Capuano once again went into the sixth inning in his last start but is still looking for his first victory in a Yankees uniform tonight. Capuano's first start in a Yankee uniform was against the Toronto Blue Jays where he took a no decision after throwing six innings and only allowing two runs. 

Buehrle has nightmares about facing the New York Yankees in his career, especially this season. Anyway, Buehrle is coming off a start in which he received a no decision in a Blue Jays walk off win against the Tampa Bay Rays. 

The Yankees play three in Toronto before taking a day off totravel and return home to the Bronx to open up a set with the Pawtucket RedSox. Grab a pair of Yankees tickets off the blog to see New York beat up onthis former shell of itself in Yankee Stadium.

Go Yankees!!

Kuroda-Led Yankees Out-Slug Blue Jays in Opener

Going into tonight's opener against the Blue Jays, it was common knowledge that Yankees RF Ichiro Suzuki had a significant advantage. 

The 40-year-old veteran, who's struggled to produce this season, was hitting .451 in his career against Jays' Starter Mark Buehrle, giving Yanks fans a rare expectation that he'd contribute to the win.

And, well, he did, lining a go-ahead three-run home run off Buehrle (3 IP, 6 ER) in the bottom of the third as the Bombers rallied for a thrilling 6-4 victory over their rival.

Now for most of this one's early going, the Pinstripes did surprisingly trail, making the spectators at Yankee Stadium nervous the home winning streak against Toronto would end.

Still, thanks to big offensive performances in the second and third the Yanks did find a way to come out on top, the fourth straight day they've done so.

To begin the onslaught that included six crossings of home in two frames, the first four batters of the bottom of the second reached, with a bases-loaded infield single by Brian Roberts driving in the Bombers' first run.

Later in the at-bat, the Pinstripes would score again on a sac fly to deep center from Brett Gardner, cutting what appeared to be a comfortable 3-0 Toronto lead to 3-2.

Then in the next inning, in a sudden turn of events, New York circled the bases four more times, as Carlos Beltran skied one over the left field wall and Ichiro knocked the aforementioned three-run shot to right, causing Jose Bautista's two homers to become worthless and eventually helping Hiroki Kuroda get the W.

Don't get me wrong, Kuroda's 5 2/3 frames of four-run ball weren't amazing, but since the relieving endeavors of David Huff, Shawn Kelley, Dellin Betances, and David Robertson did close things out #18 was rewarded for besting his counterpart, the seventh time that's happened this year. 

Open Game Thread 7/25: Yankees vs. Blue Jays

Welcome to tonight's open thread for the game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees will send Hiroki Kuroda to the mound to face off with Mark Buehrle for the Jays as these two teams battle it out for second place in the AL East. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on MY9, MLB Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN.

Remember to get your tickets for tonight or any game this weekend right HERE on the blog with out friends at Ticket Monster. If you can't make it live then join us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes or search for The Greedy Pinstripes on Facebook to keep the conversation going.

It's an open thread so use the comments section of the site to chat during the game. Enjoy the game Yankees family and enjoy the rest of your night and the weekend. Go Yankees!

Mark Buehrle Blamed For Blue Jays Slide

Well actually he really wasn't blamed for it out loud but while Mark Buehrle has struggled and slumped so has the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto has lost their grip on the American League East division and are in a dogfight for one of the wild card slots. As we pointed out in our game preview Buehrle has not had a win since June 1, ouch. Maybe this meme is on to something...

Yankees Game Preview 7/25: vs Toronto Blue Jays

The New York Yankees have started the second half of the season on a tear that has included a 6-1 record in this current 10 game home stand. The final series in this home stand begins tonight as the New York Yankees will host the Toronto Blue Jays in the first of a three game weekend set. The Yankees will send Hiroki Kuroda to the mound looking to keep the line moving and he will be faced off with the Blue Jays Mark Buehrle. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the MY9, MLB Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Kuroda has been sharp in his last three starts and may have finally found his groove for the Yankees this year after and up and down start to the 2014 season. Kuroda only has one win to show for his efforts in his last three starts but has held teams to a .188 batting average and has pitched to a 2.79 ERA in his last three. Kuroda defeated the Blue Jays in Toronto on June 25 only allowing three runs in 6.1 innings.

Buehrle last pitched against the Texas Rangers and continued his slide in his last three or four starts for the Jays. Buehrle did not factor into the decision while pitching six innings and giving up five runs on eight hits last time out. Buehrle got his 10th win on June 1 and has not won #11 to date, a trend New York hopes continues tonight.

Get your tickets for tonight's game or any game this weekend before the Yankees head back out on the road to end July and start the month of August. Get your tickets here through our blog and get free shipping and no fees at all with your tickets. 

Go Yankees!!

Betances Not Upset That He Didn't Get to Pitch in the ASG

When an underrated rookie like Dellin Betances makes the All Star Game, it's not unreasonable to believe that he should get a chance to pitch. 

Betances, a 26-year-old prospect who was originally expected to start during his big league career, has put together a 4-0 record and a 1.46 ERA so far in 2014, stats that only get better when you consider that 84 (50.6%) of the 166 outs he's recorded have come via the strikeout.

Still, during last night's Mid-Summer Classic Red Sox Manager John Farrell decided not to use the youngster, something that apparently doesn't bother him, with the Yanks' prized right-hander saying afterwards that he enjoyed the experience despite not getting to pitch. 

"I would have loved to pitch, but I enjoyed it," Betances told Newsday's Erik Boland. "Next year hopefully if things go my way, hopefully I get to participate again."

In the contest's ninth inning, in order to please the home crowd, the aforementioned Farrell allowed Twins' Reliever Glen Perkins to end things, an act that probably didn't need to happen.

Yes, Perkins should've been able to finish the ballgame, but since he was just one of two non-starters to get more than two outs on the night you have to wonder if letting him throw for that long was necessary, as Betances as well as Toronto's Mark Buehrle were still eligible to contribute. 

Yankees Come Back From 6-0 Deficit, Still Lose to Blue Jays

When a team goes through these kinds of losing streaks, it's important for us to remember that things can get better.

Can, not will. 

Unfortunately, that negative philosophy is one we'll have to use when looking at tonight's game, as the Yankees fell to the Blue Jays 7-6, their fourth consecutive loss.

In the last three, as you probably already know, the Yanks never fell by less than five, at first appearing to make this contest an improvement.

However, after a quick look at the boxscore that belief is revealed as a misconception, as everything from the Bombers' hitting with RISP to their starting pitching struggled in this evening's defeat. 

To start things off, David Phelps gave up six earned runs in just 5 innings of work, with a long three-run home run from Dioner Navarro and a two-run single from Colby Rasmus highlighting his bad outing.

On that hit by Rasmus, a failed rundown by Derek Jeter allowed a third run to score, bringing the Jays' lead to 6-0 and again making the Yanks look done.

Fortunately, that wouldn't quite be the case, as the Pinstripes would rally to tie it up in the sixth and seventh when Jeter somewhat made up for his earlier mistake with a shot to left, Brian Roberts drove in a pair with another homer off Mark Buehrle (6.2 IP, 4 ER), Jacoby Ellsbury singled home Brett Gardner, and a two-out, two-run throwing error by Jose Reyes made the score even at 6.

Still, none of that would matter due to a disastrous ninth from the Bombers, in which they failed to get Gardner in from third and lost in the Jays' half of the frame, when Yangervis Solarte threw a Melky Cabrera sac bunt into foul territory.

Prior to that error, Adam Warren allowed a lead-off double to the aforementioned Reyes, causing him to take the loss, his fourth already this season.

Besides him, though, the Pinstripes' bullpen was actually pretty good (getting a combined three scoreless innings from Matt Thornton and Dellin Betances), a fact that can only make this defeat more painful, as the Yanks are now 3.5 games out of first place.

Game Thread: Yankees @ Blue Jays 6/24

Welcome to tonight's open thread and game day thread as the New York Yankees travel to Rogers Centre to take on the Toronto Blue Jays. New York will send David Phelps to the mound to face off with Mark Buehrle tonight. The game will be played at 7:07 pm ET and can be seen on MY9, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN.

The Yankees come home this weekend to take on, and beat on hopefully, the Boston Red Sox so witness it live by purchasing your Yankees tickets right here on the blog. You can follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes or find us by searching The Greedy Pinstripes on Facebook to interact with us during the games. Also you can leave us a comment in the comments section of the site to chat with Yankees fans around the globe.

Enjoy the game Yankees family and enjoy the rest of your evening.

6/24 Yankees Game Preview vs. Toronto Blue Jays

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays will play in the middle game of a three game set at Rogers Centre tonight. The Yankees will send the ever improving David Phelps to the mound to face off with Mark Buehrle for the Blue Jays. The game will be played at 7:07 pm ET and can be see on the MY9, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Phelps has been impressive through most of June and has only allowed two runs in his last 13.2 innings pitched. Phelps picked up his third win in his last start, against this same Toronto Blue Jays team, striking out seven batters. The only damage against Phelps was a Melky Cabrera two run home run.

Buehrle faced this same Yankee squad last time out and allowed three runs, two of them earned, including a home run off the bat of Brian McCann. Buehrle has 12 quality starts in 15 total starts this season but has not got a win in his last month's worth of starts.

Get your Yankees tickets for tonight's game or for the weekend set with the Boston Red Sox right HERE on the blog without all those annoying and costly fees or shipping charges. Big thank you goes out to Ticket Monster for helping the fans get back to the game.

Go Yankees!!

McCann's 5 RBIs Help Yankees Blowout Blue Jays, 7-3

Since May 23's walk-off loss to the White Sox, Yankees Catcher Brian McCann hasn't collected a home run. 

The $85 million backstop, hitting .220 going into tonight, has arguably been the team's biggest disappointment so far this season, recording just 28 RBIs.

Despite that, the veteran came out and brought that total up to 33 this evening, as the Yanks beat the Blue Jays again, 7-3.

To start off his impressive performance, McCann lined a two-run shot to right in the bottom of the fourth (surrendered by Mark Buehrle, who gave up 3 runs/2 earned over 6 innings), giving the Bombers a 3-2 lead. 

The advantage obtained by #34's eighth homer of the year was added onto four more times in the seventh, when Ichiro Suzuki (pinch hitting for Alfonso Soriano) walked with the bases loaded and McCann drove another offering from Brett Cecil into the right-center field gap.

At first looking like a routine out, the ball ended up carrying past the glove of the diving Colby Rasmus, giving McCann 3 more RBIs and allowing him to reach third.

At that point, the Bombers were up 7-2, helping Chase Whitley eventually collect his third consecutive win.

Whitley, who's gotten at least 21 outs in each of his last two starts, lasted just 5 innings in this one, giving up 2 earned runs and 5 hits.

In the top of the fourth, with two on and two out, Whitley surrendered a pair of singles to Dioner Navarro and the before-mentioned Rasmus, blowing a 1-0 lead Soriano gave him with a bottom-of-the-first single.

On that hit, interestingly, Brett Gardner scored easily from third, one of two runs he had in his 4-for-5, four single performance. 

Besides him, Adam Warren also contributed silently to this W, tossing perfect sixth and seventh frames while impressively striking out three. 

Game Thread: Yankees vs. Blue Jays 6/18

Welcome to tonight's game thread for the game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Chase Whitley vs. Mark Buehrle is the pitching matchup and the game can be seen at 7:05 pm ET on the YES Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with WFAN.

Don't forget to snag some Yankees tickets HERE on the blog for this game and the weekend series with the Orioles at the stadium. Follow @GreedyStripes on Twitter or find us on Facebook to keep the Yankees conversation going all day long. You can always drop us a line in the comments section of the site as well.

Enjoy the game Yankees family and enjoy the rest of your evening.

Mark Buehrle Left His Family For A Dog.... Meme

Not exactly sure how much truth there is to this because honestly I don't care enough to look it up but if this is true... wow. I can understand being an animal enthusiast and lover, I am to some degree, but I am also a family enthusiast and a wife and kids lover myself. Maybe it's just me.