Shane Baz (3-5, 4.29) gets the ball for Baltimore against Kevin Gausman (4-4, 3.36) at 1:37 PM ET. Baz is coming off his cleanest outing of the year — 7 innings, 2 earned, 6 punchouts at Fenway. Gausman, meanwhile, took the loss in Atlanta last time out, charged with 4 earned over 6 with 8 strikeouts. The card up top has the full last-start lines.
This series has been a coin-flip with extreme outcomes. The Orioles dropped 13 on Toronto in the opener Friday, then the Jays grabbed Saturday 6-4 to even it. Whichever bullpen blinks first probably loses, because the early returns say nobody in Toronto can keep this Baltimore lineup in the yard for 9 innings.
Both clubs sit at 31-34, which is its own kind of disappointing depending on which fanbase you ask. The Jays were supposed to be a buyer; the Orioles were supposed to be running the AL East again. Instead it's June and they're trading haymakers for fourth place. The injury sheets explain a lot of it — and there's a lot to explain.
- Day-To-DaySamuel Basallo C — An MRI on Basallo's right abdomen came back negative Saturday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayChris Bassitt SP — Bassitt (back) is travelling to rejoin the Orioles in Toronto on Friday and could make his next start Monday against the Mariners, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayLevi Wells P — Wells underwent successful core-muscle surgery Thursday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
- Day-To-DayRichard Guasch SP — no
- Day-To-DayWill Robertson LF — The Orioles reassigned Robertson to minor-league camp Wednesday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- 10-Day-ILDylan Beavers RF — Beavers (oblique) hit in the batting cage Wednesday, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- 15-Day-ILRyan Helsley RP — Helsley (elbow) could start a rehab assignment as early as Monday, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILCade Povich SP — Povich (elbow) met with Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday and is without an official timetable for his return after receiving a cortisone injection, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- Day-To-DayDaulton Varsho CF — Varsho (wrist) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Baltimore.
- Day-To-DayGeovanny Jesus Planchart C — no
- Day-To-DayChay Yeager RP — Yeager will undergo season-ending UCL surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
- Day-To-DayCJ Stubbs C — The Blue Jays signed Stubbs to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training.
- Day-To-DayJaven Coleman P — no
- 10-Day-ILAddison Barger RF — Barger (elbow) has been hitting in the batting cage at Toronto's complex in Dunedin, Florida, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
- 10-Day-ILLenyn Sosa 2B — Sosa went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run and an additional RBI on Saturday against the Twins in an 11-4 victory.
- 15-Day-ILMax Scherzer SP — Scherzer (forearm) gave up three runs on five hits and a walk over 3.2 innings for Triple-A Buffalo on Friday. He struck out five.
Toronto is without Daulton Varsho (wrist) again, still waiting on Alejandro Kirk to finish his rehab assignment, and the rotation is duct-taped together with Scherzer, Cease, Bieber, and Berrios all on the IL. Baltimore's not much healthier: Mountcastle, Westburg, Eflin, Kremer, Bautista and a half-dozen more are out, and Chris Bassitt is reportedly aimed at Monday in Seattle. Translation — the guys playing this afternoon are the guys, full stop.
Pinnacle has Toronto -132 with a total of 8.5, which feels about right for two even teams whose pitching staffs are running on fumes. If Baz repeats his Boston start, the Orioles steal the series. If Gausman looks like the guy who carried a sub-3.20 ERA through May rather than the one who got tagged by the Braves, the Jays send Baltimore home unhappy.