After getting their butts whooped in the series opener last Thursday, the Yankees did a good job of securing a split of their four-game set with the Rays. Now, the Bombers hit the road for a seven-game road trip with a 23-18 record. Their first matchup will take place north of the border against the Blue Jays.
This will be another four-game series. Here’s what the probable pitching matchups look like at the moment between the Yankees and Toronto.
Monday at 7:07 p.m. ET: Jimmy Cordero vs. Alek Manoah
The Yankees announced that Jimmy Cordero would be getting the start in Monday night’s series opener. He hasn’t thrown more than two innings in a single appearance this season, so he’s probably serving as an opener for Jhony Brito, who was originally slated as Monday’s starting pitcher.
As NJ.com’s Max Goodman notes, Brito owns a 7.17 ERA in innings 1-3 so far this year, but that number drops down to 2.79 between innings four and six.
Alek Manoah struggled to a 6.98 ERA in his first four starts. After allowing seven runs in 4.2 innings to the Rays on April 16th, things have settled down a bit. He has a 2.91 ERA in his last four outings. This solid stretch began at Yankee Stadium when he shut out New York over seven innings.
Tuesday at 7:07 p.m. ET: Domingo German vs. Kevin Gausman
Domingo German got the loss in New York’s series opener against the Rays last Thursday, but he pitched pretty well. Across 5.2 innings, he allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. It was the fourth time he pitched into the sixth inning in his last five starts. He allowed four runs and five hits over six innings in a loss to Toronto on April 21st.
Kevin Gausman’s last five starts have been on both ends of the spectrum. On three occasions, he lasted at least six shutout innings with nine-plus strikeouts. The other two times, he couldn’t complete five frames and surrendered at least seven earned runs.
Wednesday at 7:07 p.m. ET: Gerrit Cole vs. Chris Bassitt
Gerrit Cole got the no-decision in his last start against the Rays, but he pitched a lot better this time around. The right-hander allowed two runs on five hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. This will be the first time he’s not facing Tampa Bay in a start since May 2nd. Cole last faced Toronto on April 22nd and held them scoreless over five innings while striking out four.
Chris Bassitt just produced his best start of 2023 during his last turn through the rotation with a complete-game shutout of the Atlanta Braves. But, each of his last two starts has been terrific. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last 16 innings pitched while surrendering just six hits and six walks on 13 strikeouts.
Thursday at 7:07 p.m. ET: Nestor Cortes vs. Jose Berrios
Nestor Cortes had an uncharacteristically rough start at home on Saturday against the Rays. he allowed six runs on seven hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in 4.1 innings. But of course, Aaron Judge’s two homers helped New York come back and win the game anyways. Cortes posted a 1.88 ERA with 13 strikeouts across 14.1 innings (three starts) against the Blue Jays in 2022.
Overall, things haven’t gone well for Jose Berrios this year. That’s evidenced by his 4.70 ERA in 46 innings. However, things have gone much smoother in his last two starts. Through his past 12 innings pitched, Berrios owns a 3.00 ERA with 10 strikeouts. Berrios faced the Yankees four times last year and it didn’t go well. He posted a 5.64 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 22.1 innings.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
