The New York Yankees have been the best team in the AL East for much of the season, but they now have some serious competition for the stretch run.
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This weekend, the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays have invaded the Bronx, and are proving that they are here to stay in the AL East. The Blue Jays have had a great offense all season, but it was their pitching that was holding them back from being a true contender in the division.
Before the trade deadline, the Blue Jays shocked everyone when they pulled off the blockbuster trade to improve their offense even more by acquiring Troy Tulowitzki. In order to acquire Tulowitzki, the Blue Jays had to part ways with Jose Reyes and some prospects, but Tulowitzki is a much better player than Reyes at this point in their careers.
In addition to getting Tulowitzki from Colorado, the Blue Jays also acquired journeyman reliever LaTroy Hawkins. The Blue Jays’ bullpen needed someone badly, and acquiring Hawkins has helped already as well.
While the trade with Colorado helped the Blue Jays get better, the big improvement came when the Blue Jays acquired David Price. The Yankees were one of the teams that were interested in Price, but it was the Blue Jays who landed the ace.
With two of the biggest names in baseball being acquired, the Blue Jays came into the weekend series trailing by just 4.5 games. With a lot to prove, the Blue Jays were able to win on Friday behind a great start from R.A. Dickey, who is really elevating his level of play in the last month.
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On Saturday, the two newly acquired stars had an impact in the Blue Jays’ 6-0 victory. Price pitched a gem against a recently struggling Yankees lineup, and Tulowitzki hit a solo-homerun in the seventh inning.
The Blue Jays have taken the first two games of the series and now trail the Yankees by just 2.5 games in the East.
On Sunday, the Yankees will be sending their ace Masahiro Tanaka to the mound in a huge game. The Yankees don’t want to see their lead in the AL East cut by three games in three days, which makes Sunday a big game.
The Yankees were unwilling to part with any of their top prospects in trades this season, and that may come back to hurt them. While keeping top prospects may be the right thing for the future, the Yankees have a very good chance to win this season.
There is a lot of baseball left to play but Sunday will have a big-game feel in Yankee Stadium. Being swept at home is never a good thing, and even more so when it is the team right behind you in the standings doing the sweeping.
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