The Toronto Blue Jays (54-43, 43-54 RL, 42-50-5 O/U) take on the Seattle Mariners (48-48, 46-50 RL, 48-47-1 O/U) in the second of a three-game series on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays will give the starting nod to Kevin Gausman. The Mariners will reply with Logan Gilbert. The Blue Jays lead the season series 2-1.
Kevin Gausman will take the mound on Saturday. Gausman missed his last start due to a minor injury. He was solid in his previous outing, limiting the Tigers to only two runs in six innings and but had no help from the offense and took the loss. The veteran right-hander has conceded two or fewer runs in three consecutive performances and continues to accumulate several K’s. He has reported a 3.03 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP complemented by a 7-5 record in 115.2 innings. Gausman completed seven shutout innings against the Mariners in May and has registered a stellar 2.38 ERA and a 1-3 record in nine career meetings.
The Blue Jays are in the early portion of a six-game road trek. They are enjoying a strong month, winning three of their last four series including a sweep against the Diamondbacks. The squad dropped two of three home meetings against the Padres before this series. They stand in the second AL wildcard spot and are a solid 7-3 in their last ten decisions.
Captain CRUSH ?? #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/Q9lb2gDOKz
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 20, 2023
Matt Chapman has been a tough out against the Mariners this season, going 6 for 11 with three RBIs and a dazzling 1.5 OPS. The veteran third baseman is swinging a hot bat, registering a .915 OPS this month, and now has 41 RBIs accompanied by an .806 OPS on the season.
Toronto is scoring an average of 4.47 runs on the year, marking them 15th. The pitching staff is a strength, producing a 3.80 team ERA, good for eighth.