After a day off on Monday, the Toronto Blue Jays open September with a big road trip in the heated and jam-packed American League wild-card race. Coming off a weekend sweep over the Seattle Mariners at home, John Schneider's team hits the road for a nine-game, three-city road trip that will determine the Blue Jays' playoff hopes.
Toronto will open the road trip on Tuesday night in Cleveland against the Guardians. Cleveland holds the third and final AL wild-card spot, and the Blue Jays are 1.5 games back, tied with the Texas Rangers and one full game behind the Baltimore Orioles. Toronto could be doing themselves a big favor by winning the series and getting results going their way on the out-of-town scoreboard.
After a stop in Cleveland, the Blue Jays will visit the Kansas City Royals for three games before heading to West Sacramento, Calif., for three games with the Athletics. Schneider will turn to some veterans to get the trip off on the right foot on the mound.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease Credit: John E. Sokolowski | Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Guardians are returning from a West Coast trip and have won eight of their last 10 games, making the series more difficult for Schneider and the Blue Jays, who will roll out two of their top arms over the next three days.
Tuesday:Spencer Miles (5-2, 2.92 ERA) vs. Gavin Williams (12-7, 3.98 ERA), 6:40 p.m.
Wednesday:Dylan Cease (9-5, 2.33 ERA) vs. Joey Cantillo (9-7, 3.70 ERA), 6:40 p.m.
Thursday:Jos Soriano (11-7, 3.45 ERA) vs. TBD, 1:10 p.m.
Spencer Miles has been good for the Blue Jays and will get the ball in the opener against one of the best Cleveland has to offer, Gavin Williams. Toronto will close the series with Dylan Cease and Jos Soriano on the mound . It will be Cease's 26th start of the season, and he has a case to remain in the Cy Young conversation with a big road start. Soriano is 2-1 with a 4.13 ERA since coming over from the Los Angeles Angels at the MLB Trade Deadline.
There is no doubt that the schedule is in Toronto's favor in September, but can they go out and take advantage of it? That's going to be the question. It starts with the Guardians on Tuesday night in the first of three games, and after the final pitch against the Athletics on September 9, we'll know whether or not the Blue Jays will still be in the wild-card race when they come home.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/bluejays/onsi as Blue Jays Release Probable Pitchers for Pivotal Guardians Series .
