A pair of AL East rivals kick off their respective final series of the regular season with a contest down in Charm City. The Toronto Blue Jays are on the road as they play the opening game of a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles Monday night. Toronto closed a three-game series at home with the Red Sox looking for a sweep as they cruised to a 10-0 win in the middle game of the set Saturday night. Baltimore played the rubber game of their three-game road series with the Yankees Sunday afternoon. The Orioles were blanked 8-0 in the middle game of the set Saturday afternoon. In the season series, the teams have each won eight meetings with the Blue Jays taking two of three at home in the most recent set September 16-18.
Toronto won for the fifth time in seven games as they blanked Boston for the second straight game Saturday night. The Blue Jays entered Sunday second in the AL East, 8.5 games behind the Yankees for the top spot. They own the top wild card spot by 1.5 games over the Mariners with four games to play. On Saturday, Toronto racked up 21 hits with Bo Bichette and Raimel Tapia (four runs, two RBI) each recording four in the contest. Teoscar Hernandez (his 23rd) and Danny Jansen (his 15th) each homered in the victory. Ross Stripling (10-4) earned the win on the mound as he threw six scoreless frames, allowing four hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
Jose Berrios is on the mound for his 32nd start of the season for the Blue Jays in this contest. He comes in 11-7 with a 5.37 ERA, a 1.434 WHIP, 42 walks, 144 strikeouts and has allowed 29 homers in 166 innings of work this year. Berrios took the loss in his last start, which came Tuesday at home against the Yankees. He threw 5.1 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over 5.1 innings in a 5-2 Blue Jays defeat. In his last three starts, Berrios is 1-2 with an 8.78 ERA, a 2.10 WHIP, five walks and 11 strikeouts over 13.1 innings of work. Berrios makes his 12th career start against the Orioles in this contest. He comes in 8-0 with a 3.04 ERA, a 1.127 WHIP, 13 walks and 62 strikeouts over 71 innings of work. Berrios is 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA, a 1.019 WHIP, eight walks and 26 strikeouts over 35.1 innings in five career starts at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.