This Saturday the (76-60) Toronto Blue Jays and the (59-77) Texas Rangers will play game two of this three-game series. The first pitch will be thrown out at 7:05 PM EST inside Globe Life Field. This will be the second series between these two teams this season, as the Blue Jays stole two of three games the last time they met up.
The Toronto Blue Jays are coming into this game after a long four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles. Luckily, the Blue Jays won three of the four games, as they looked great on the mound. They will need to continue to throw some heat if they want to challenge the Rangers on the road.
The Texas Rangers are entering this one after losing their previous series to the Houston Astros. The Rangers struggled at the plate, as they were shut out in game one and they lost in extras in game three!
This game was written before last night's results.
The Toronto Blue Jays are currently 8-2 in their last 10 games played, as their strong play has launched them into the third and final AL Wild Card spot. They have a 4.5-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles, as they will need to stay hot if they want to make it to the postseason. The Blue Jays are also only 6.0 games back from the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East.
At the plate, the Blue Jays are scoring 4.73 runs per game and they are hitting .261 as a team. This is the sixth most runs scored per game and the third-highest overall team batting average. The Blue Jays have been consistently reaching base and they have been very clutch with men in scoring position. Toronto also has multiple guys with some serious power. They are hitting 1.23 bombs per game, which is the eighth most home runs hit per game. Watch for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the plate, as he leads the team with 27 home runs this season. The Blue Jays have also stayed unaggressive once they have reached base safely this season. They have only stolen 56 bases, which is the 22nd least in the MLB.
According to MLB.com, Kevin Gausman will be getting the start on the mound. He is currently 11-9 with a 3.12 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. The last time he was on the mound, he pitched for 6.2 innings and he only allowed seven hits and two earned runs. Gausman has also been a road warrior this season, as he is 7-3 with a 2.07 ERA outside of his home ballpark. The Toronto bullpen has been solid this season, as they have the ninth lowest bullpen ERA in the league. As a team, the Blue Jays are allowing 4.25 runs, which is the 13th least in the league.