NYY @ TOR: Gerrit Cole vs. Kevin Gausman

06/30/2024 01:07 PM

The Yankees can salvage a split behind the nominal ace of the staff

On paper, this should be a barnburner of a pitching matchup, worthy of Friday night at any Division I college. In practice, both Gerrit Cole and Kevin Gausman will look to find something extra in their respective innings, while the Yankees look to split the series with their Canadian rivals.

Cole is making his third start of the year, following one promising outing against the Orioles and one terrible one facing the Mets. His struggles with command last Wednesday forced him to take a few mph off his all-world fastball, making him eminently hittable against the crosstown rivals. It's very possible the righty isn't back to 100 percent just yet, but if he is, now would be an ideal time to show it.

Gausman, who may have a Cy Young or two if it weren't for Cole, doesn't have an elbow injury to blame for his poor start to the season. Instead, the righty has seen a significant drop in his strikeout rate, combined with a propensity to give up home runs. Neither Gausman's fastball nor splitter, the two pitches that he earns his contract on, have been up to snuff this year, and both seem quite hittable.

I was impressed with Ben Rice's day at the plate yesterday, and with Juan Soto still receiving treatment (plus the benefit of three days in a row off), Rice is back in the two-slot in front of Aaron Judge. If you missed it yesterday, check out my breakdown of his swing decisions and what kind of hitter Rice could turn into. Hitting in front of a guy like Judge can only help that. Also of note: Austin Wells is in the lineup and catching Cole for the first time in a regular-season game.

How to watch:

Location: Rogers Centre — Toronto, ON

First pitch: 1:37 p.m. ET

TV broadcast: YES, Sportsnet+, SN1

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280

Online stream: MLB.tv, YES App

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