TORONTO – For some, long summer weekends offer the opportunity to relax: maybe a little time outdoors, ideally with a refreshing drink or two nearby.
Still, for Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo, relaxation will have to wait. This weekend, he gets the pleasure of running five games in 72 hours against the Tampa Bay Race.
So far, the Blue Jays have seen very little of the Rays, but that’s about to change with four more series against Tampa Bay, including a pair of five-game sets that are on schedule due to a block that delayed the start of the 2022 season. And given how tight the American League’s wild card rankings are, each of those games is important to the playoffs.
Coming into play on Thursday, the Blue Jays are 1.5 games ahead of Reiss in the AL wildcard standings, and the Guardians are just 1.0 game behind Tampa Bay for last place. So far, the standings are crowded, but a lot can happen in five games. Let’s look ahead what to expect …
PROBABLE STONES
Thursday, 19:07 ET / 16:07 PT (Sportsnet): Toronto LHP Yusei Kikuchi (2-4 5.08 ERA) vs. TBD
Friday, 15:07 ET / 12:07 PT (Sportsnet): Toronto RHP Jose Berios (5-4, 5.86 ERA) vs. TBD
Saturday, 12:07 PM ET / 9:07 AM PT (Sportsnet): Toronto RHP Kevin Gaussman (6-6, 2.93 ERA) vs. TBD
Saturday, 18:07 ET / 15:07 PT (Sportsnet): TBD vs. TBD
Sunday, 13:37 ET / 10:37 pm PT (Sportsnet): Toronto RHP Ross Stripling (4-2, 3.12 ERA) vs. TBD
THE LATEST BLUE JACKETS
Wednesday’s series final against the Red Sox ended in a loss of 10 innings, but not before the reserves cleared when Nick Piveta hit Alejandro Kirk with his elbow. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was particularly incensed on behalf of his teammate by engaging in some lively conversations with Rafael Devers of Boston after hitting the pitch.
After the calm was restored, the Blue Jays returned to level the game, creating a potential breakthrough. But the Red Sox scored three in the tenth, beating David Phelps when the Blue Jays’ bullpen looked vulnerable again. With the victory, the Red Sox overtook the Blue Jays in the standings, taking a 0.5-game lead over Toronto.
LAST ON THE RAYS
Earlier this week, the Rays lost another 5-3 games to Milwaukee at home. During the second of those two games, manager Kevin Cash asked five of his relevers to cover a total of seven innings, meaning that Reyes’ bullpen was not fully rested when this five-game streak began.
Now 40-34 of the season, Tampa Bay begins a trip to three cities to Toronto, Boston and Cincinnati, during which they will play 11 games in 11 days.
“We know we have our hands full because Toronto is a good team,” Cash told reporters before leaving.
Meanwhile, Ji-Man Choi returned to the starting lineup on Wednesday after being removed from his left ankle.
BUILDING A PLAN
Although the Blue Jays have not announced who will start the second game on Saturday, there is a good chance Thomas Hatch will receive the call. The right has recovered from a slow start in a triple A to record a 3.63 ERA with 41 outsides compared to nine walks in his last seven starts. He last did so on June 25, which means he’s well rested if the Blue Jays want to invite him as their 26th man on Saturday.
Along with Casey Lawrence and perhaps Max Castillo, Hatch represents the next layer of the starting lineup beyond the current Blue Jays five.
PROBLEMS BULPEN
Five games in four days is a lot under any circumstances. Then consider that the first two Blue Jays players – Kikuchi and Berios – have been their weakest consecutive starters lately. There is a chance the fur in Toronto will be used a lot this weekend.
Plus, Blue Jace’s goat looks especially vulnerable at a time when Yimi Garcia, Trevor Richards, Nate Pearson and Julian Merriweather are on the injured list. Deepening the problem, Phelps, Trent Thornton and Tim Maisa have recently crashed into places with high leverage.
Expect to see Sergio Romo’s recently signed debut against his former team over the weekend, but whether the 39-year-old can provide the stability that the Blue Jays are looking for is another matter. More likely Blue Jays will have to add to this goat next month. To advance deep into the playoffs, additional additions seem a must. But it is commonly said that trade negotiations are now quiet, so some patience may be needed.
MARQUEE MACHUP
Shane McClanahan is emerging as one of the best pitchers in baseball this year, leading the American League in both the ERA (1.77) and the outs (123), entering the game on Thursday.
But if last summer was an indication, there is at least one Blue Jay who sees the ball well against AL candidate Young Cy Young. On July 3 last year, Springer homes against McClanahan, one of two hits he has against him in three official bats. Springer has also walked twice against McClanahan, suggesting he has a better reading for the 25-year-old right-hander than most.
SEASONAL SERIES
So far this season, the Blue Jays have faced the Rays only three times. Those games returned in May, with the Rays taking two of three, but that was just the beginning for those two teams, who have faced 15 more times here, including two sets of five games with scheduled doubles.
In other words, prepare for a lot of rays over the next few months. They will be on TV and in your nightmares.
FOLLOWS
The Blue Jays prize for five games against the Rays in four days? Travel west to visit 25-51 Athletics and 35-41 Mariners. It certainly sounds preferable to the glove that is AL East, but first there is a lot more work to do at home.
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