Barstool BushBarstool fan site

Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles

By JR·2 min read
Toronto Blue JaysTOR(77-79)
Baltimore OriolesBAL(75-81)
AT
6:35 PM ET

TLDR: Toronto's still chasing a playoff spot with less than two weeks to go. Baltimore's offense has gone ice cold at the worst possible time, and the Orioles are running out of games to fix it.

MON SEP 21, 6:35 PM
Spread
WIN
Total
Blue Jays
(77-79)
WLLWL
Orioles
(75-81)
LLLWW

Toronto arrives a game back of the final AL Wild Card spot with 12 to play, while Baltimore is five back with its elimination number down to two and a lineup that's gone quiet at the worst time. Trey Yesavage makes his first start since knee surgery against a struggling Shane Baz, with Toronto's playoff urgency running into an Orioles pitching staff that's actually held up better than its offense.

Blue Jays
  • 1 game back of final AL Wild Card spot, 12 to play
  • Won series finale in Texas 7-2 last time out
  • Yesavage posted 3.65 ERA over 18 starts pre-injury
  • Vlad Guerrero Jr. day-to-day with lower-back tightness
  • Cease shut down, thinning an already-injured rotation
  • Yesavage hasn't started since Aug 4, coming off knee surgery
Orioles
  • Swept a 2-game set from the Mets before this skid
  • Rogers threw 8 strong innings in latest loss
  • Bullpen has kept recent losses within a run or two
  • Shut out over their last 19 innings
  • Swept by the Brewers in the most recent series
  • Baz at 4.11 ERA, allowed 7 hits in 4 innings last start

Trey Yesavage draws the ball for the Blue Jays in his first big-league start since undergoing knee surgery, going up against Shane Baz and an Orioles offense that's forgotten how to score. First pitch is 6:35 PM ET at Camden Yards, with Toronto sitting a single game back of the final AL Wild Card spot and 12 games left to close the gap.

Trey Yesavage
Trey Yesavage
(5-5)·3.65 ERA
Aug 4 @ Astros
ND
2.0IP
0ER
0K
1BB
27P
09/21 Lineup
Shane Baz
Shane Baz
(6-15)·4.11 ERA
Sep 15 @ Mets
ND
4.0IP
3ER
2K
2BB
68P
09/21 Lineup

Baz has been erratic all year at 6-15 with a 4.11 ERA, and his last time out against the Mets was more of the same — 4 innings, 3 earned runs, 7 hits allowed. That's the arm Baltimore needs to hold up while its lineup tries to remember how to hit; the Orioles have gone scoreless across their last 19 innings, getting shut out in back-to-back games during a sweep at the hands of Milwaukee. Yesavage, by contrast, posted a 3.65 ERA over 18 starts before the knee injury shelved him in early August.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was pulled from Sunday's game with lower-back tightness and is day-to-day, which matters plenty for a Toronto lineup that needs every bat it can get down the stretch. Dylan Cease is shut down for his next scheduled start, thinning a rotation that's already without Bieber and Taillon for the year — Yesavage's return isn't just a bonus arm, it's closer to a necessity.

Toronto Blue Jays
(77-79)
09/20W@Rangers7-2
09/19L@Rangers2-6
09/18L@Rangers1-7
09/16WvsTigers5-1
09/15LvsTigers1-10
Baltimore Orioles
(75-81)
09/20LvsBrewers0-3
09/19LvsBrewers0-1
09/18LvsBrewers5-6
09/16W@Mets7-1
09/15W@Mets7-5

Toronto's the team with something to play for here. They're one game out of a Wild Card spot with less than two weeks left, and they snapped a rough patch against Texas with a 7-2 win in the finale. Baltimore, meanwhile, is five games back with an elimination number down to two — the kind of spot where a club's approach at the plate can slip even before the math is technically dead.

Toronto Blue Jays
(16)
  • Day-To-DayVladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B) — Guerrero was removed from Sunday's game against the Rangers due to lower-back tightness, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.09/20
  • Day-To-DayDylan Cease (SP) — Cease underwent an MRI on his shoulder Saturday and won't make his scheduled start Wednesday against the Orioles, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.09/20
  • 10-Day-ILRudy Martin Jr. (RF) — The Blue Jays selected Martin's contract from Triple-A Buffalo on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.09/14
  • 10-Day-ILLuis Urias (2B) — The Blue Jays announced Monday that Urias (quadriceps) will be shut down for the next two weeks, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.08/10
  • 15-Day-ILTrey Yesavage (SP) — Yesavage (knee) is scheduled to be reinstated from the 15-day injured list to start Monday's game against the Orioles, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.09/19
  • 15-Day-ILShane Bieber (SP) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday that it "would be tough" for Bieber (shoulder) to return from the 15-day injured list before the end of the regular season, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.09/18
  • 15-Day-ILJameson Taillon (SP) — Taillon (elbow) revealed his "season is over" Tuesday and confirmed he'll be evaluated by Dr. Keith Meister in Texas on Sept. 22, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.09/15
  • 60-Day-ILAnthony Santander (RF) — Santander (shoulder/back) is scheduled to play in the outfield for Triple-A Buffalo on Friday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.09/18
  • 60-Day-ILCody Ponce (SP) — Manager John Schneider said that Ponce (knee) would be a candidate to return from the 60-day injured list only if the Blue Jays make the postseason and advanced deep into October, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.09/07
  • 60-Day-ILPatrick Corbin (SP) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Saturday that Corbin (shoulder) is a "long shot" to return from the 60-day injured list this season, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.09/07
  • 60-Day-ILJonatan Clase (LF) — The Blue Jays transferred Clase (foot) to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.08/27
  • 60-Day-ILYimi Garcia (RP) — Garcia (elbow/neck/biceps) underwent thoracic outlet surgery Thursday and will miss the rest of the season, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.08/26
  • 60-Day-ILJake Bloss (SP) — The Blue Jays recalled Bloss from Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday and placed him on the 60-day injured list while he recovers from a right teres major strain, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.08/12
  • 60-Day-ILAddison Barger (RF) — Barger is expected to be sidelined six months following surgery Monday to repair his right elbow UCL, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.07/27
  • 60-Day-ILJose Berrios (SP) — Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Berrios underwent full Tommy John surgery Wednesday in addition to having a stress fracture repaired, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.05/27
  • 60-Day-ILBowden Francis (SP) — The Blue Jays placed Francis (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.05/08
Baltimore Orioles
(10)
  • 10-Day-ILJackson Holliday (2B) — Holliday (undisclosed) isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets, Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com reports.09/16
  • 10-Day-ILBlaze Alexander (3B) — The Orioles placed Alexander on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with low-back discomfort.09/09
  • 10-Day-ILLuis Robert Jr. (CF) — The Orioles placed Robert on the 10-day injured list Sunday due to left hamstring discomfort.09/06
  • 15-Day-ILKyle Bradish (SP) — Bradish was diagnosed with a sports hernia Wednesday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.09/16
  • 60-Day-ILTyler O'Neill (RF) — Manager Craig Albernaz said Monday that O'Neill's shoulder isn't responding to rehab the way they'd hoped, and he's dealing with a "significant" injury, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.09/19
  • 60-Day-ILRyan Helsley (RP) — President of baseball operations Mike Elias said Saturday that Helsley (elbow) will be shut down for the remainder of the season, Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com reports.09/19
  • 60-Day-ILRyan Mountcastle (1B) — Mountcastle (foot/oblique) has resumed a hitting progression, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.09/08
  • 60-Day-ILColin Selby (RP) — Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said Friday that Selby underwent right shoulder surgery Tuesday to repair his labrum and rotator cuff, Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com reports.07/31
  • 60-Day-ILKeegan Akin (RP) — Akin (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.07/15
  • 60-Day-ILJordan Westburg (3B) — Westburg (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Andrew Golden of TheBanner.com reports.05/15

None of that guarantees a laugher. Baltimore's bullpen has actually held up in the losses — Rogers threw 8 strong innings in a 1-0 defeat just two days ago — and a rehabbing Yesavage on a starter's leash for the first time in six weeks is its own kind of question mark for Toronto. The Blue Jays have the standings pressure. The Orioles have the pitching depth to make them work for it.

More Stories