The Toronto Blue Jays are set to conclude their three-game series against the Athletics on Wednesday.
Toronto dropped the series opener 6-5 on Monday before winning 4-2 on Tuesday. The Blue Jays enter play with a record of 73-73 and are 1 game back of the Cleveland Guardians for the final Wild Card spot.
Toronto is set to start Braydon Fisher as an opener, with Michael Lorenzen likely pitching a bulk of the innings.
First pitch is set for 3:05 p.m. ET.
Toronto Blue Jays Announce Charles McAdoo Decision
Before the Blue Jays series finale against the Athletics, Toronto made a surprising decision on McAdoo.
McAdoo is mostly a second and first baseman, but the Blue Jays have been trying him out in left field. In the series finale, he’s set to bat second and play left field. It will be his second game in left field in his MLB career.
The Blue Jays lineup on Wednesday is as follows:
- B. Bateman RF
- C. McAdoo LF
- V. Guerrero Jr. 1B
- A. Kirk DH
- K. Okamoto 3B
- A. Giménez SS
- E. Clement 2B
- B. Valenzuela C
- M. Straw CF
McAdoo playing left field is a real surprise. Toronto is also moving Brett Bateman to right field and Myles Straw to center, as the Blue Jays haven’t been able to trust Jesus Sanchez in the outfield.
However, the Athletics are starting left-hander Brady Basso, which is why so many right-handed hitters like McAdoo are in the lineup, while left-handers Nathan Lukes and Sanchez are out.
McAdoo is hitting .244 with 2 home runs and 10 RBIs this season as he’s appeared in 27 games in his first MLB season.
Toronto Right Now
The Blue Jays evened up the series against the Athletics with a 4-2 win on Tuesday.
Toronto was led by home runs, and Josh Smith and Kazuma Okamoto hit back-to-back home runs in the second inning. Okamoto hit his 30th home run of the season, which was special for him.
“Definitely, it’s great to get to 30 in my first year, but we’ve still got a few games to go here,” Okamoto said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. “I want to flip the switch and focus on the games moving forward.”
The win was also huge as Cleveland won earlier in the night, so the Blue Jays needed to keep pace with him.
“Right now, things are going well,” Okamoto said. “We only have a few more games here while we make a push for the postseason. Hopefully I can keep going.”
Toronto will begin a three-game home series against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.
Toronto Blue Jays Announce Surprising Charles McAdoo Decision During A’s Series