The Toronto Blue Jays are running out of time to turn their season around, and their upcoming three-game home series against the Seattle Mariners could be crucial to their postseason hopes.
Toronto enters the matchup after dropping a frustrating series to the Kansas City Royals. With the Blue Jays now 3.5 games out of an American League Wild Card spot, they may need to go 5-1 over their next six games against Seattle and the Cleveland Guardians to seriously revive their playoff chances.
Ahead of Friday’s series opener, Toronto revealed its expected starting rotation for the weekend.
Blue Jays Announce Probable Starters Against Mariners
Toronto will hand the ball to right-hander Dylan Cease in Friday’s opener. The veteran is in the first season of his massive seven-year, $210 million contract and has delivered an impressive campaign so far.
Cease enters the matchup with a 9-5 record and a 2.37 ERA through 24 starts, putting him firmly in the Cy Young conversation.
Seattle is expected to counter with right-hander Emerson Hancock, who is 7-7 with a 3.37 ERA across 24 starts this season.
For Saturday’s matchup, the Blue Jays will turn to right-hander Jose Soriano. Toronto acquired Soriano at the trade deadline, and he has gone 10-7 with a 3.43 ERA in 26 starts this season.
The Mariners are expected to send rookie left-hander Kade Anderson to the mound. Anderson will be making just his second MLB start after posting a 4.76 ERA in his first outing.
Toronto will then give the ball to veteran Max Scherzer in Sunday’s finale. The future Hall of Famer has struggled significantly this season, entering the game with a 1-7 record and a 7.02 ERA over 12 starts.
Seattle is expected to counter with Bryce Miller, who owns a 4-8 record and a 4.12 ERA across 17 appearances, including 16 starts.
Blue Jays Facing Growing Pressure
Toronto desperately needs its offense to wake up.
The Blue Jays were crushed 13-2 by Kansas City in Thursday’s series finale, dropping their record to 65-70 and leaving them 3.5 games behind in the Wild Card race.
The loss also resulted in a chorus of boos from the home crowd, something manager John Schneider acknowledged after the game. Schneider defended the fans’ right to voice their frustration while also expressing appreciation for the support Toronto has received throughout the season.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also continued his recent struggles. The star first baseman went hitless against the Royals and was pulled from the game after the seventh inning.
Schneider acknowledged that Guerrero has been searching for a solution at the plate and has been putting in significant work in an effort to get things going.
With the Mariners coming to town, the Blue Jays have little margin for error. A strong series could put them back into the playoff picture, while another disappointing stretch could make their postseason hopes increasingly difficult to salvage.
