LEADING OFF: Jays-Yanks showdown; Arrieta, Colon throw zeros

A look at what’s happening all around the major leagues Thursday:

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AL EAST SHOWDOWN

David Price (14-5, 2.43 ERA) pitches for the first-place Blue Jays in the opener of a four-game series at Yankee Stadium. Trying to catch Toronto in the AL East, New York counters with impressive rookie Luis Severino, who is 3-2 with a 2.04 ERA in his first six major league starts.

MR. ZERO

Jake Arrieta, who leads the majors with 18 wins, is on the mound for the Chicago Cubs in Philadelphia. Arrieta has a 17-inning scoreless streak and was the NL Pitcher of the Month for August.

BETTER WITH AGE

Fresh off a three-game sweep at Washington that opened seven-game bulge in the NL East, the first-place Mets send 42-year-old Bartolo Colon to the mound in Atlanta. Colon (13-11) has thrown 25 consecutive scoreless innings dating to Aug. 26.

AJ IS OK

A.J. Burnett is set to come off the disabled list and start for Pittsburgh, which holds the top spot in the NL wild-card race. He hasn’t pitched since July 30 because of a strained right elbow. The 38-year-old is 8-5 with a 3.06 ERA in what he says is his final season. With Burnett returning to the rotation vs. visiting Milwaukee, the Pirates are giving ace Gerrit Cole some extra rest.

HOLLAND’S OPUS

With the Rangers charging hard and trying to overtake Houston atop the AL West, Derek Holland gets the ball in Seattle. The left-hander is 3-1 with a 2.37 ERA in five starts since returning from injury. He faces Mariners ace Felix Hernandez (16-8, 3.65).

TRY, TRY AGAIN

Shelby Miller hasn’t won in 20 straight starts despite ranking among the NL leaders with a 2.81 ERA. He’s 0-12 during his drought with Atlanta – Braves hitters haven’t backed him with a lot of run support. Miller hopes to end the streak at home against the Mets.

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