The Toronto Blue Jays have now taken back-to-back series against AL East opponents, winning three of four against the Boston Red Sox and then two of three against the New York Yankees.
On Tuesday, they’ll begin another series against a fellow division foe when they travel to Tampa Bay to face the Rays, who currently hold the best record in the American League.
Ahead of the series, the Blue Jays have officially announced their expected starting pitchers for all three games via MLB.com.
Blue Jays Announce Probable Starters
Tampa Bay is still playing Monday night as it wraps up a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles, so the Rays have yet to announce their starting pitchers against Toronto.
Tuesday: RHP Jose Soriano (9-6, 3.16 ERA, 134 strikeouts) vs. TBD
Wednesday: RHP Max Scherzer (1-5, 6.59 ERA, 31 strikeouts) vs. TBD
Thursday: RHP Shane Bieber (4-2, 4.99 ERA, 37 strikeouts) vs. TBD
Toronto will avoid Rays ace Shane McClanahan, as he’s scheduled to pitch Monday night. The Blue Jays could face pitchers such as Nick Martinez, Drew Rasmussen and Ian Seymour, although Tampa Bay has yet to finalize its rotation.
Looking at the Blue Jays
Toronto’s play over the last two weeks has put it right back in the mix for a playoff spot in the AL down the stretch.
The Blue Jays enter the week with a 61-65 record, making this a fairly underwhelming season considering they reached the World Series less than a year ago.
However, Toronto remains firmly in the playoff race, sitting just 1.0 game behind the Baltimore Orioles for the final Wild Card spot.
Six teams currently sit within two games of each other in the standings, meaning they could all be competing for that final spot. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox currently hold the top two Wild Card spots and have a lead of more than five games.
Toronto Blue Jays Announce Starting Pitchers for Series Against Rays