Braves' opponent: New York Yankees
Keep an eye on: What's at stake. The Yankees are 1 ½ games behind Toronto in the AL East. The Blue Jays had won five in a row before losing in Texas on Thursday and are a remarkable 18-5 in the month of August, which included a three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium Aug. 7-9. The Yankees are 11-13 in August.
Who's hot: Carlos Beltran is 7-for-22 (.318) over his past seven games, with three doubles and five RBIs.
Who's not: Alex Rodriguez is 3-for-19 (.158) over his past six games and he's hitting .138 in the month of August.
Braves connection: Former Braves catcher Brian McCann is hitting .245 with 22 homers and 75 RBIs in his second season with the Yankees. He has caught 98 games this year, has seen action in eight games at first base and three at designated hitter. Former Braves first baseman Mark Teixeira has been nursing a bruised shin, after fouling a ball off it on Aug. 17. He has gotten just three at-bats since then, in the Astros series, and went 0-for-3. He leads the Yankees with 31 home runs and 79 RBIs.
In the news: C.C. Sabathia went on the disabled list after leaving his start Sunday with pain in his surgically repaired right knee. The knee won't require surgery and he's hopeful he can return this season. Jacob Ellsbury missed Wednesday's game against the Astros with a sore hip, which he injured on an attempt at a diving catch. He's a question mark for Friday.
