Sonny Gray Looking For First Win With New York In The Finale In Toronto
When you get traded to a new organization your debut can go one of two ways you can either pitch great or not so great and you can either win or lose and unfortunately, on August 3rd the newly acquired pitcher from Oakland Sonny Gray took the 5-1 loss at Progressive Field against Cleveland.
He will have his chance to get his first win in pinstripes in Canada at the Rogers Centre as he faces Toronto in the finale.
Sonny Gray will make his second start in pinstripes Thursday night as the Blue Jays and Yankees wrap up their three-game series at Rogers Centre. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170809247446202/gray-seeks-first-yanks-win-in-toronto-finale/?game_pk=491815
The Yankees hold the first Wild Card spot in the American League with a long list of teams, including the Blue Jays, comprising a crowded race for the second. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170809247446202/gray-seeks-first-yanks-win-in-toronto-finale/?game_pk=491815
Over Gray's past seven starts, he has posted a 1.59 ERA and worked a minimum of six innings. His Yankees debut against the Indians on Aug. 3 ended in a loss, but the right-hander pitched well over six innings, allowing just two earned runs on four hits and striking out six. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170809247446202/gray-seeks-first-yanks-win-in-toronto-finale/?game_pk=491815
Against the Blue Jays, Gray will be looking to deliver a complete performance. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170809247446202/gray-seeks-first-yanks-win-in-toronto-finale/?game_pk=491815
"I feel like I threw the ball OK," the righty said after his start in Cleveland. "At the same time, if I can shut that sixth inning down, it's a completely different ballgame. It's just one of those things that kind of got away from me for a couple of hitters. They took advantage. It gave them all the momentum for the last three innings." "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170809247446202/gray-seeks-first-yanks-win-in-toronto-finale/?game_pk=491815
Toronto starter Marco Estrada's season is also on the upswing, albeit a more gradual one. Trade speculation surrounded Estrada ahead of the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, but given the uncertainty of Toronto's fourth and fifth rotation spots, his ability to perform consistently is critical at this point. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170809247446202/gray-seeks-first-yanks-win-in-toronto-finale/?game_pk=491815
In Estrada's past three starts, he owns a 2.83 ERA and has held opponents to just 12 hits over 19 innings. A key to Estrada's recent success has been a better combination of his fastball and changeup, which he works vertically up and down the zone to force weak contact through the air. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170809247446202/gray-seeks-first-yanks-win-in-toronto-finale/?game_pk=491815
Josh Donaldson is heating up for the Blue Jays and opened the series Tuesday with a pair of home runs that included his hardest-hit extra-base hit of the season at 111.3 mph. According to Statcast, his three hardest-hit home runs of the 2017 season have come since Aug. 1." according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170809247446202/gray-seeks-first-yanks-win-in-toronto-finale/?game_pk=491815
Yanks outfielder -- and No. 2 prospect per MLBPipeline.com -- Clint Frazier was a late scratch Wednesday with right oblique tightness, and his status for Thursday is unknown. The 22-year-old is experiencing a minor skid, going 5-for-33 (.152) over his past eight games. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170809247446202/gray-seeks-first-yanks-win-in-toronto-finale/?game_pk=491815
Pitchers' evolving game plans against struggling Yankees slugger Aaron Judge have become clear: They're challenging Judge up in the zone with fastballs and getting him to chase down and away with sliders. The budding star has seen a higher rate of sliders since the break (20.7 percent of his pitches seen before the break, 25 percent since), and many more of them have been off the plate. In turn, he's chased more of those sliders (23.3 percent rate before, 30.1 percent since) and has whiffed at more than two-thirds of those he's swung at since winning the T-Mobile Home Run Derby. All this has culminated in Judge entering Wednesday hitless in 19 at-bats ending with a slider since the Midsummer Classic. "according to http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170809247446202/gray-seeks-first-yanks-win-in-toronto-finale/?game_pk=491815
As for New York and Toronto's last game, New York third baseman Todd Frazier stole the show.
While one Frazier Clint Frazier was sitting on the bench out of Wednesday lineup with tightness in his oblique the other Frazier Todd Frazier was making an impact for the New York offense.
Todd Frazier has opted to be referred to as "The Toddfather" during the upcoming Players Weekend, but on Wednesday night, he was simply the man who homered and drove in three runs to help power the Yankees to an 11-5 victory over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
Gary Sanchez ("Kraken") and Didi Gregorius ("Sir Didi") also homered for the Yankees, who pounded out 17 hits, one shy of their season high. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
"I'm very satisfied," said Frazier, who went 3-for-4, scored four runs and finished a triple shy of the cycle. "Not only me, everybody came through today. Hitting is contagious, man, as that old saying goes. Everybody pretty much came through today in the offensive outburst. Let's keep on doing that. That would be pretty nice." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
With the victory, the Yankees (60-52) remained four games behind the Red Sox in the American League East while maintaining a 2 1/2-game lead for the first AL Wild Card. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
Making just his second appearance of the season, and his first with the Blue Jays, starter Nick Tepesch was charged with five runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings, surrendering all three homers. Frazier roped a two-run double off reliever Leonel Campos in the fifth and Jacoby Ellsbury ("Chief") followed with an RBI double. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
"They took advantage of some pitches I left over the plate and kind of up in the zone, and they did a good job of hitting them," Tepesch said. "I thought I was OK. Most of the time, solo home runs aren't going to hurt you, but I gave up three tonight. I didn't think it was horrible, but I didn't think it was great, either." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
Masahiro Tanaka started for New York but lasted just four-plus innings, allowing three runs (two earned) with five walks. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
"He didn't really have his split tonight," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We talk about how important that pitch is for him, and he just didn't have a good one." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
Ryan Goins ("Go Go") and Josh Donaldson ("Bringer of Rain") chipped away with run-scoring knocks in the sixth, but Ronald Torreyes added a two-run single in the eighth off Taylor Cole, who made his Major League debut. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
Frazier delivered in a key spot in the fifth after a walk to Aaron Judge("All Rise") and a Gregorius double placed runners on second and third with one out. The Blue Jays played the infield back, conceding a run, but Campos whiffed Sanchez. Frazier cashed the two-out hit, stroking a two-run double up the gap in right-center field. Frazier had two extra-base hits Wednesday after tallying just two in his first 18 games as a Yankee. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
"I don't think I've been struggling, to be honest," Frazier said. "The defense has been there, I've had some opportunities where I've driven some guys in. If you look at the stats, maybe everybody looks at the batting average and says, 'He's struggling.' But I've gotten guys over, I've gotten big walks in key situations. We can talk about little things. I've thought I've helped this team out a lot and hopefully I keep that going." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
The Blue Jays worked Tommy Kahnle for his first rough outing since rejoining the Yanks in the sixth. After Goins chased Chad Green with an RBI double, Kahnle threw a wild pitch and walked Raffy Lopez before getting Jose Bautista ("Joey Bats") to pop out. Donaldson ripped a run-scoring single to right-center, cutting New York's lead to 6-5 before Kahnle struck out All-Star Justin Smoak to end the inning. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
"We pulled in close, thought we had a chance to win it, but they just blew it open there," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
As for the Toronto offense, Jose Bautista hit a solo homer off Tanaka in the fifth. That marked his 35th career home run vs. the Yankees, which moved him into a tie with Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria for the most by any active player. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
The Nos. 6 through 9 hitters in New York's lineup -- Frazier, Ellsbury, Garrett Cooper and Torreyes combined to go 10-for-19 with five runs scored, three doubles, a homer and nine RBIs. Cooper became the first Yankees rookie first baseman to collect four hits in a game since Joe Collins in 1950. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/247470336/yanks-hit-3-hrs-then-pull-away-from-blue-jays/
New York improved to 60-52 on the season and is now four games back of their American League East rival Boston who is leading the division with a record of 65-49. Meanwhile, Toronto drops to 53-60 and is 11.5 games back of first place Boston.
Right -hander Sonny Gray who has a record of 6-6 with a 3.41 earn run average will start the finale for New York. Gray took the loss in his Yankees debut on Aug 3 at Cleveland, allowing four runs (two earned ) and four hits over six innings. His final outing with the A's came at Toronto on July 25th, when Gray struck out nine but allowed four unearned runs. He will go up against Toronto right -hander Marco Estrada who has a record of 4-7 with an earn run average of 5.12 has lasted seven innings in each of his last two starts. Estrada will make his 24th start Thursday, The most on the Blue Jays. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-blue-jays/2017/08/10/491815#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=491815
Will Todd Frazier play a big role in the New York offense in the finale at the Rogers Centre and be able to get runs off Marco Estrada? Will Sonny Gray get his first win in pinstripes? Will New York win the series? Will Toronto be able to get their offense going against Sonny Gray and get the win?
First pitch is set for 7:07 pm. The game will be televised on Yes.