Toronto will try to keep its second-half momentum going when it faces Minnesota in the second game of a four-game series on Friday night. The Blue Jays won eight of their first 11 games after the All-Star break, while the Twins have split their last 10 games. This story was published prior to Thursday night’s meeting.
Toronto has not lost a series since returning from the All-Star break, so it will be hoping to keep that momentum going this weekend. The Blue Jays swept a three-game series with Boston, took three out of four against Detroit and split a pair of two-game series against St. Louis and Tampa Bay in the last two weeks. They are amid a nine-game road trip that will conclude with three games in Baltimore next week. Toronto is in second place in the American League East, but it trails New York by 11 games in the standings. The Blue Jays are holding onto the top AL Wild Card spot, though.
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— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 4, 2022
They have relied on an offense that leads the majors with a .264 batting average. First baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr. has 112 hits, including a team-high 21 home runs. Shortstop Bo Bichette and left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. have each eclipsed 105 base knocks as well. They will be facing a Minnesota pitching staff that is No. 19 with an ERA of 4.01. Right-handed pitcher Jose Berrios is set to start for Toronto on Friday night. He allowed one run on three hits and a walk across seven strong innings against Detroit his last time out. Berrios needed just 80 pitches to complete seven frames, retiring 12 of the final 13 batters that he faced. He was excellent in July, going 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA across six starts.