Toronto @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( May 6, 2015 ) NY Yankees 1, Toronto 5

The Toronto Blue Jays are not content to fight for the American League wild card and plan to close the gap between themselves and the first-place New York Yankees. The Blue Jays will get their first crack at doing just that when they visit the Yankees for the start of a three-game series on Friday.

Toronto and New York will play 13 times before the end of the season, with the Blue Jays needing to make up 4 1/2 games in the AL East. Toronto has won eight of its last nine after completing a four-game sweep of Minnesota on Thursday but is just 22-31 on the road, where it will play 11 of its next 17 contests. The Yankees grabbed a 2-1 win over Boston in the rubber match of their three-game series on Thursday and have won four of six. New York, which ranks second in the majors to Toronto in runs scored, will try to solve R.A. Dickey’s knuckleball while sending Nathan Eovaldi to the mound on Friday.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, RSN, TVA (Toronto), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (6-10, 4.06 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Nathan Eovaldi (11-2, 4.30)

Dickey is enjoying his best run of the season with wins in each of his last two turns and has allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his last five starts. The 40-year-old yielded two hits in seven scoreless innings to best AL-leading Kansas City on Sunday. Dickey is 1-0 in two starts against New York this season, surrendering a total of two runs in 14 1/3 frames.

Eovaldi, who has not lost since June 16, has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last eight starts. The 25-year-old yielded three runs on seven hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings last Friday at the Chicago White Sox and ended up with the win in a 13-6 triumph. Eovaldi, who is making his first career start against the Blue Jays, is 4-0 with a 3.66 ERA in nine turns at home.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays DH Edwin Encarnacion has hit safely in nine straight games, recording two homers and seven RBIs in the last two.

2. New York 1B Mark Teixeira has reached base safely in 23 consecutive contests.

3. Toronto 3B Josh Donaldson has registered three home runs, six RBIs and six runs scored in his last four games.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 5, Yankees 3