The Toronto Blue Jays (71-59, 56-74 RL, 67-61-2 O/U) meet with the Pittsburgh Pirates (49-82, 64-67 RL, 57-63-11 O/U) in the final bout of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Jays will have Ross Stripling on the hill. The Pirates will give the nod to JT Brubaker, seeking his fourth win. The Jays posted a 4-0 win on Friday night.
The Blue Jays will have Ross Stripling take the mound for the 27th time in the series finale. Stripling was solid in his latest effort, allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings against the Angels, but was tagged with the loss. The veteran right-hander has been a reliable pitcher most of the season, recording a 2.94 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP complemented by a 6-4 record in 101 innings of work. Stripling has conceded eight runs along with a 1-1 record in 18 career innings against the Pirates.
The Blue Jays need to win these games against inferior foes. They were swept at home by the Angels last weekend and managed to win two of three against the Cubs in their previous series. They are in the 3rd wildcard spot in the AL. The Jays are 6-4 in their last ten games.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been kept in check recently, amassing only two RBIs in his last eight games. The 23-year-old slugger is having a productive season, launching 27 big flies with 80 RBIs and an .854 OPS. Guerrero went 1 for 4 in Friday’s series opener.
The Blue Jays are scoring an average of 4.65 runs per game, good for seventh overall. The pitching staff enters with a 3.91 team ERA, placing them 17th in the big leagues.