The Toronto Blue Jays are deploying right-handers Spencer Arrighetti, Dylan Cease, and José Soriano for a pivotal three-game road series against the Cleveland Guardians, according to reports from Heavy.com. Toronto enters the matchup utilizing a scheduled Monday off day to reset their rotation and avoid a bullpen day, as reported by Heavy.com.
Rotation Matchups for the Cleveland Series
Spencer Arrighetti will start the series opener for Toronto against Cleveland’s Gavin Williams, according to the source material. Arrighetti has posted an 0-2 record with a 7.36 ERA across 7.1 innings pitched in his first two appearances with the Blue Jays, after being acquired from the Houston Astros in exchange for Daulton Varsho, where he went 7-7 with a 4.81 ERA in 19 games and 18 starts, as outlined by Heavy.com.
For Tuesday’s matchup, Dylan Cease takes the mound against Joey Cantillo, according to the provided data. Cease strengthened his American League Cy Young Award campaign by throwing six innings of one-run ball against the Seattle Mariners on Friday, bringing his season record to 9-5 with a 2.33 ERA across 25 starts, following an outing where he gave up a home run as the only run allowed, as detailed by Heavy.com.
In Wednesday’s series finale, José Soriano will face Tanner Bibee, according to the records. Soriano allowed three runs and struck out six batters over seven innings on Saturday, improving his season totals to 10-7 with a 3.43 ERA in 26 starts following his acquisition at the trade deadline, according to the source reports.
Wild Card Standings and Recent Form
Cleveland enters the series holding the third American League Wild Card spot, though the team dropped two consecutive games to the Kansas City Royals after previously holding a seven-game win streak, according to the available data.
Toronto capitalized on Cleveland’s recent step back by securing a comeback victory over Seattle on Saturday, moving 1.5 games back of the Guardians, according to the reports. The Baltimore Orioles also gained ground in the Wild Card race, moving within a single game of Cleveland following a victory over the Athletics, as noted in the source material.
Pro Tip: Keep a close eye on intradivision tiebreakers as the regular season winds down, since head-to-head records and division performance dictate crucial postseason seeding advantages when teams finish level.
Season Series and Postseason Tiebreaker Implications
Toronto holds a 2-1 advantage over Cleveland this season following their initial three-game series played back in April, according to the records. Beyond the Guardians matchup, the Blue Jays are also monitoring tiebreaker scenarios with the Mariners.
As Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling explained, a victory in the series finale against Seattle would give Toronto the season series and secure the postseason tiebreaker between the two clubs. If Seattle wins that finale, the season series finishes tied at 3-3, shifting the tiebreaker to intradivision records, where Toronto sits at 23-23 against the AL East with six games remaining, while the Mariners hold a 20-13 mark against the AL West with 19 games left to play.
Did You Know? The last off day, Toronto gave Dylan Cease an extra day of rest, but with the Blue Jays rotation injured, they are going with the Cy Young candidate, according to Heavy.com reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is starting the opening game of the series for Toronto?
Spencer Arrighetti will take the mound for the Blue Jays in the series opener against Cleveland’s Gavin Williams, according to the source material.
How did Dylan Cease perform in his last outing before this series?
Dylan Cease pitched six innings of one-run ball against the Seattle Mariners on Friday, giving up only a first-inning home run, according to Heavy.com.
What are the current Wild Card standings context for the Blue Jays?
The Blue Jays are 66-70 and sit 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot, trailing Cleveland by 1.5 games after a Saturday comeback win against Seattle, according to Heavy.com and team reports.
Who will pitch the series finale for Toronto?
José Soriano will get the start for the finale against Cleveland right-hander Tanner Bibee, according to the provided data.
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