This week has been brutal for the Toronto Blue Jays . Desperately searching for a series win against the Detroit Tigers , the Blue Jays were walked off on Monday before suffering a 10-1 beatdown on Tuesday night.
The backend of the bullpen crumbled in the series opener as the Tigers rallied for six runs over the final three innings. Detroit's offense tore through Toronto pitching on Tuesday, and now the Blue Jays are trying to avoid a sweep.
The Blue Jays are falling in the American League wild-card standings , but they have a golden opportunity this weekend. Toronto will face the Texas Rangers , who are directly in front of them in the wild-card race. John Schneider revealed two starting pitchers for that series.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Soriano. Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After Tuesday's loss, Schneider revealed Dylan Cease will start Friday vs. the Rangers, per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith .
The original plan was for Cease to pitch Saturday and for Jose Soriano to start the series finale. Now, it appears both pitchers will be moved up a day. Cease pitched on Sunday and Soriano pitched on Monday, so they'll both be on short rest.
Rest is an early-season luxury. Toronto is running out of time and they cannot afford to throw away more games. The Blue Jays could dent the Rangers' playoff hopes with a series win this weekend.
Cease had an odd outing against Texas in June. Over 4.2 innings, the righty allowed four hits, four earned runs, walked five, but struck out 10. Since then, Cease's brilliance has been on full display , but the Blue Jays will need one or two more quality starts from their ace pitcher.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) is congratulated at Rogers Centre. Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Soriano's familiarity with the Rangers could be a big plus. Over eight career appearances, Soriano has a 2.84 ERA with 32 strikeouts. He'll need another big-time start to help his team.
It's unclear who will pitch in the series finale. Trey Yesavage is rehabbing in Triple-A , but he may not be ready until next week. It will likely be a bullpen game.
Toronto's fate could be determined by the end of the week. A series loss would likely eliminate any hope, but a series win could rejuvenate their postseason aspirations. They know what's at stake. Every game is a playoff game.
The Blue Jays have no wiggle room as the deficit grows larger with each loss. Moving Cease and Soriano up in the rotation was the right move. Now, the Blue Jays have to make one final push.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/bluejays/onsi as John Schneider Reveals 2 Probable Starters for Upcoming Series vs. Rangers .
