The Toronto Blue Jays are set for their series finale against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday.
Toronto is coming off a massive 11-0 win over the Guardians on Wednesday to even up the series. The Blue Jays lost the series opener on Tuesday by a score of 6-1.
Toronto will start Jose Soriano on the mound with first pitch set for 1:10 p.m. ET.
Alejandro Kirk Out of Blue Jays Lineup
Ahead of the series finale against the Guardians, the Blue Jays made some major lineup decisions.
Toronto is sitting starting catcher Alejandro Kirk while Brandon Valenzuela will start the game and bat ninth.
The Blue Jays lineup on Thursday is as follows:
- B. Bateman CF
- N. Lukes RF
- V. Guerrero Jr. 1B
- J. Sánchez LF
- S. Keys DH
- J. Smith 3B
- A. Giménez SS
- E. Clement 2B
- B. Valenzuela C
Kirk being out of the lineup is a big blow, as he’s been arguably the Blue Jays’ best hitter as of late. He’s hitting .271 with 8 home runs and 32 RBIs this season. In his last 15 games, he’s been hitting .276 with 3 home runs and 11 RBIs.
Valenzuela, meanwhile, is hitting .224 with 8 home runs and 21 RBIs this season. He’s making his first start since August 28 against the Seattle Mariners.
Toronto Right Now
The Blue Jays are battling for a playoff spot as they are 1.5 games back of a Wild Card spot.
Toronto is coming off a big win over Cleveland, where Dylan Cease was once again dominant. He went 6 scoreless innings, allowing 4 hits while striking out 4. He frustrated the Guardians lineup, as Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt had nothing but praise for him.
“Dylan’s been a really good strikeout pitcher his entire career. I think adding the changeup… He used to be just north-south — heaters at the top, and then the two spin pitches underneath. And now he’s pitching,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “You add pitching to that arsenal and that stuff, you’re going to get what you’re seeing. He’s been dominant this year. He’s been one of the best, if not the best, starters.”
Cease, meanwhile, was just pitching like he always does, regardless of the score.
“That’s nice because it definitely allows for a little more margin of error,” Cease said. “Ultimately, I try to pitch the same way, which is not to give up runs, obviously. Maybe it changes some pitch selections here and there, but ultimately, I still want to pitch pretty similarly.”
Toronto is 69-71.
Blue Jays Make Alejandro Kirk Change Ahead of Guardians Series Finale