Teams that have underperformed thus far are set to take each other on, with the Toronto Blue Jays (31-27) in Queens to face the New York Mets (30-28) for the final time this season. Friday night was the series opener, with the Blue Jays blanking the home team 3-0. They play again on Saturday afternoon before this Sunday afternoon series finale. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. EDT this time, but Citi Field remains the venue.
The Hound ??
Bassitt's ERA at Citi Field since the start of 2022: 2.74 pic.twitter.com/odfX1b9LTG
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 3, 2023
Facing the AL East, the Blue Jays have gone 6-15 so far. Against every other team, Toronto is 25-12. The Mets may be in an eastern division, but fortunately for Toronto this weekend, the other New York team is the American League version. So they can bring their big bats into this game without far less pressure. The Blue Jays are third in batting average, fourth in OBP, and 10th in slugging through 58 games. Their lineup has the fourth-lowest strikeout rate along with the 12th-most stolen bases. They're also 11th in home runs. This is an offense that can do it all, with Bo Bichette leading the way so far.
?? @DaultonVarsho25 to the MOON! pic.twitter.com/LJsVcI4S0o
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 3, 2023
Pitching has also been effective, as the Blue Jays are eighth in team ERA and fourth in strikeout rate. Even with struggles keeping the ball in the park, Toronto's relievers have a collective ERA that's top-10. It'll be on Yusei Kikuchi to hand them the ball with the lead in this one. Kikuchi has been hit or miss on the road this season. Out of six away starts, Kikuchi has three where he held the opponent to one or fewer runs. In the other three, he's allowed at least five. His FIP and HR/9 are both currently at career-worst numbers, but his ERA is also below 5.00, something he's only achieved once in his career. It'll be interesting to see which version of Kikuchi shows up on Sunday.
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