The Toronto Blue Jays are gearing up for an important series this week as they prepare to face off against the Cleveland Guardians.
In the series opener, Spencer Arrighetti will take the mound for the Blue Jays, while Gavin Williams will be pitching for the Guardians on Tuesday. The following day, ace Dylan Cease will go up against Joey Cantillo, and José Soriano will wrap up the series facing off against Tanner Bibee on Thursday.
Arrighetti has faced some challenges in his first two appearances with the Blue Jays, holding a 0-2 record and a 7.36 ERA over 7.1 innings pitched. On the other hand, Cease showcased his skills with a strong performance against Seattle, bolstering his position for the AL Cy Young Award. Soriano also put up a solid effort, striking out six over seven innings in his recent game.
Despite entering the weekend on a seven-game winning streak and being two games above .500, the Guardians suffered two consecutive losses against the Kansas City Royals. This setback has created an opportunity for both the Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles, who have been making strides with victories on Saturday.
Following a comeback win over the Mariners, Toronto now sits 1.5 games behind Cleveland, while the Orioles are trailing by just a single game after their triumph over the Athletics. The Blue Jays currently hold a 2-1 record against Cleveland this season from their previous matchup in April.
As Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling pointed out, the outcome of the series finale on Sunday will determine the season series between the Blue Jays and the Mariners, potentially serving as a crucial post-season tiebreaker.
Keyphrase: Blue Jays Cleveland series
