The Yankees will put the fallacy that things can’t get any worse to the test as they attempt to avoid getting swept in a four-game set north of the border. This is a foreign concept to a New York team that’s been in control of the AL East for virtually the whole season. That’s a thing of the past given their recent skid, paired with productive stretches from the Blue Jays and Rays. The Jays are now tied atop the AL East (and hold a tiebreaker) while Tampa Bay sits a mere half-game behind.

Standing in the way of the Yankees’ first win in Toronto this season is a veteran starter, whose success against this team has been a part of his career. Chris Bassitt comes into this game with a 1.63 ERA in 38.1 innings versus the Yankees, by far and away his best numbers against any team he’s seen that often. Those numbers looked even better at the beginning of the year, but the Yankees roughed him up a bit in the Bronx, when they beat the Jays 5-1 at the end of April. The goal is to repeat a similar performance, this time in Toronto.

Offensive production hasn’t been the primary issue in this series, though, with the Yankees scoring a combined 18 runs in the three losses. It’s the pitching that has mostly let the team down, both the starters and the bullpen. A comeback effort to erase an eight-run deficit on Wednesday amounted to diddly squat, with Devin Williams taking the loss in the eighth inning, ending his scoreless streak of eight appearances.

Much like his counterpart this evening, Clarke Schmidt also carries into this game pretty good success against his opponent. Unfortunately for Schmidt, the offense has usually let him down versus Toronto, which is why he has a 0-3 record despite owning a 2.78 ERA in 22.2 innings against the Blue Jays.

Austin Wells and Trent Grisham return to the starting lineup today after needing a few days off. Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt, and DJ LeMahieu take seats today, with Aaron Judge at DH, Ben Rice covering first, and Oswald Peraza at the second. Jasson Domínguez, Grisham, and Cody Bellinger will cover the outfield from left to right.

How to watch

Location: Rogers Centre — Toronto, ON, Canada

First pitch: 7:07 p.m. ET

TV broadcast: YES, Sportsnet, TVA Sports

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 / SN590, SN APP

Online stream: MLB.tv (out-of-market)

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