The Yankees cross the border, looking to place tariffs on the Blue Jays. Ten takeaways.

 Tonight, the Death Barge hits Toronto - the cultural capital of Canada and astral twin of Buffalo - in a nation seething with hatred, simply because our Dear Leader graciously offered it a chance to become a northern version of Florida. (We'd marvel over the exploits of "Canada Man.") 

Normally - with the exception of Boston - I don't rank on opposing cities, especially when the Yankees visit. Why overturn the spittoon? Besides, Canada is trying to shake its shameful inability to capture Bigfoot, which remains at large, eating berries, shitting in the woods and cavorting - the life that should be ours. 

While the Yankees brace for next weekend's Subway Series, the Blue Jays - six down in the loss column - need a sweep. Meanwhile, hateful Tampa stands to gain the most, as they entertain the Formerly of Oakland A's. 

Ten ponderings... 

1. Jazz Chisholm Jr. belongs in NY. Everyone can see it. His personality was made for Gotham. And he's got three months to make his case. Right now, he's doing it. Over the last 30 days, he's hitting .316 with 6 HRs and lifted a rather meager BA - below .200 when he tweaked a tit - to .242. (Over his career, he's at .248.)   

2. Tonight, Toronto dredges up the 40-year-old reanimated corpse/war horse known as Max Scherzer. He's sorta like Snake Plissken, in that I thought he was dead. He hasn't pitched well. He's past prime and coming off another injury. Still, he's the type of pitcher who escapes jams, and the Yankees are the type of team that doesn't deliver with RISP. Bevare.  

3. Cooperstown Cashman is waiting - grinning, chuckling, cackling - as he pushes pins into the dolls of MLB starting catchers. Soon, some contending team's backstop will squeeze a boil and miss a month, forcing that team to seek a replacement. We have three LH catchers - Ben Rice, Austin Wells and JC Escara - one too many. Each can help some team in desperate need. We have a huge trade surplus. Cashman is waiting...

4. Over the last few weeks, I cannot shed a sense that something has happened to the balls. They simply are not traveling as far as they did in April. I know, I know... this is soooo subjective. But you see blasts off Yankee bats - opposing hitters, too - and they are gone - but then die at the warning track. Is it the humidity? Swirling winds? Dunno. But with every long out, the Yankees' solo-HR offense is laid more bare. 

5. A gold star sticker for Marcus Stroman! If he can pitch the second half, with some modicum of his past, the Yankees do not need to trade for a starting pitcher next month. With Stoman, Ryan Yarbrough and Luis Gil, we should be okay. That's a massive advantage.  We can concentrate on an IF and the bullpen. Huge difference. If it lasts.

6. Anthony Volpe is struggling. Over the last 30 days, he's hitting .198. He's 2 for 5 in stolen base attempts. Most of all, he's made grievous errors in big moments. I'm starting to worry. We all should. The Yankees will stick with Volpe - he's young and he's a leader - but he's surely looking over his shoulder at George Lombard Jr., now in Double A. Next March, there will be a chorus of fans wanting Lombard, much like the chorus that two years ago called for Volpe.  

7. Over the last 30 days, Paul Goldschmidt is hitting .138. Two HRs. His OPS is awful - .449. He still carries the style and grace of a potential Hall of Fame slugger, and his defense is solid. But he's coming off a down season, and the numbers look grim. 

8. Speaking of grim... Giancarlo Stanton. In the past, he always looked smug, supremely confident. Lately, he looks worried. Clearly, the double-elbow thing has him nervous. Guy really needs a HR.  

9. Over the last 30 days, Will Warren has fanned more batters than any other Yankee starter. Yep, more than Max Fried.

10. Let me say it: Yankee pitching coach Matt Blake might just be the best in the game.