Toronto @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 12, 2015 ) Toronto 10, NY Yankees 7

The New York Yankees are watching their chances at an American League East title slip away this weekend. The Yankees will try to clip a game off their deficit and avoid a four-game sweep when they host the Toronto Blue Jays in the series finale on Sunday.

The Blue Jays pounded out 30 runs in taking the first three games of the series to open up a 4 1/2-game lead on New York in the East and have won 16 of their last 21. The Yankees have gotten a total of 9 1/3 innings from their starting pitchers in the series and are losers of five straight to fall to 3-6 on their 10-game homestand. New York, which still holds the top spot in the AL wild-card race, is trying not to fall 5 1/2-games back of Toronto before opening a nine-game road trip that includes visits to division leaders the New York Mets and the Blue Jays. The Yankees will send ace Masahiro Tanaka to the mound to try to stop the bleeding on Sunday while the Blue Jays counter with R.A. Dickey.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, TBS, SNET (Toronto), WPIX (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (10-10, 4.01 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Masahiro Tanaka (11-6, 3.57)

Dickey has not lost since July 9 and is coming off back-to-back impressive outings. The veteran knuckleballer spun a complete game in a win against Cleveland on Sep. 2 and held Boston to one run and four hits over six innings on Tuesday without factoring in the decision. Dickey has been at his best against New York this season, going 1-0 with a 1.27 ERA in three starts.

Tanaka is starting on four days’ rest for just the fourth time this season as he tries to follow up one of his better outings of 2015. The Japan native struck out 10 and scattered a run and six hits over eight innings on Tuesday without factoring in the decision against Baltimore. Tanaka is 1-2 despite a 3.32 ERA and a .191 opponent batting average in three starts against Toronto this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays SS Troy Tulowitzki was diagnosed with a small fracture in his left shoulder blade after a collision on Saturday and is out indefinitely.

2. Yankees LF Brett Gardner totaled three home runs in Saturday’s doubleheader and is 6-for-12 with eight RBIs in the series.

3. Toronto LF Ben Revere is 10-for-19 in his last four games and has scored at least one run in seven straight.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 4, Yankees 2