Fade Today's Starters In Yankees Vs Blue Jays

Yankees vs. Blue Jays, 7:07 ET

I've been struggling with baseball lately. It has been a full month and a half, but there aren't that many stretches of solid picks. The past couple of years, I was consistently going 2-1 most days. However, right now, in fewer picks, I'm not identifying the best ones. Let's change that here. Today we hone in on the Yankees and Blue Jays as they end a four-game set.

The Yankees took the two first games of this series and now want to close it out with a win instead of a split. The Yankees have been hot as of late after a fairly slow start to the beginning of their season. With as tight as the AL East will be, these games are incredibly important for both teams. It helps that the Yankees have one of their better pitchers going today with Nestor Cortes. However, Cortes hasn't looked very good the past few games. He hasn't gone past the fifth inning in four starts and has allowed six runs in his last start. Before that, he allowed seven runs on the road against the Rangers in his last April start. He doesn't look that sharp right now and I'm not sure there is a great reason for it, as in there aren't a ton of walks, and he isn't giving up a ton of home runs. Cortes really isn't allowing a ton of hits either. The Blue Jays have a solid track record against Cortes as well.

Nestor Cortes #65 of the New York Yankees has struggled to start the year. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The Blue Jays are one of those teams that would be killing it in basically any other division in baseball. In fairness, I suppose you could say that about just about any of them in the AL East. The Blue Jays have really excelled at home this season as well. 40% of their losses at home have come from this series against the Yankees. I don't really like their starter for today's game, Jose Berrios, but he has been pretty reliable this season, especially at home. In three home starts, he has gone 17.2 innings and allowed just three earned runs. He's only allowed 14 hits and four walks in those games as well. I do think he might be in for some trouble today as the Yankees lineup has a ton of hitters with success against Berrios.

Feel free to fade, but I'm taking the over 9 in this game. Berrios has pitched well and it would seem that he has found a good rhythm in Toronto. However, I trust the success of both lineups against the starters. Cortes hasn't quite looked like himself, and Berrios's small sample of success doesn't encourage me to back him. I'll take over 9.

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