At a Glance<\/p>\n
Blue Jays<\/p>\n
Mariners<\/p>\n
Blue Jays<\/p>\n
Mariners<\/p>\n
Game 1<\/p>\n
Friday, May 9 | 6:40 pm<\/p>\n
RHP Kevin Gausman<\/p>\n
RHP Luis Castillo<\/p>\n
45%<\/p>\n
55%<\/p>\n
Game 2<\/p>\n
Saturday, May 10 | 6:40 pm<\/p>\n
RHP Bowden Francis<\/p>\n
RHP Logan Evans<\/p>\n
46%<\/p>\n
54%<\/p>\n
Game 3<\/p>\n
Sunday, May 11 | 1:10 pm<\/p>\n
RHP Jos\u00e9 Ure\u00f1a<\/p>\n
RHP Bryce Miller<\/p>\n
39%<\/p>\n
61%<\/p>\n
*Game odds courtesy of FanGraphs<\/a><\/p>\n Team Overview<\/p>\n Overview<\/p>\n Blue Jays<\/p>\n Mariners<\/p>\n Edge<\/p>\n Overview<\/p>\n Blue Jays<\/p>\n Mariners<\/p>\n Edge<\/p>\n Batting (wRC+)<\/p>\n 94 (11th in AL)<\/p>\n 124 (2nd in AL)<\/p>\n Mariners<\/p>\n Fielding (OAA)<\/p>\n 3 (5th)<\/p>\n -5 (12th)<\/p>\n Blue Jays<\/p>\n Starting Pitching (FIP-)<\/p>\n 120 (13th)<\/p>\n 87 (2nd)<\/p>\n Mariners<\/p>\n Bullpen (FIP-)<\/p>\n 93 (10th)<\/p>\n 107 (12th)<\/p>\n Blue Jays<\/p>\n The Blue Jays had a really strong start to the season until they played the Mariners a few weeks ago. Including that series in Toronto, the Jays have gone 6-12 since these two ballclubs last met. That slide has dropped them from the top of the AL East back into the muddy middle of the standings. Nothing has really gone right for them either. There was some hope that bounce back seasons from Bo Bichette and George Springer would help power their offense, but the non-superstars in their lineup just haven\u2019t carried their weight, leaving Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bichette, and Springer to carry the entire load. The pitching staff might be in a more dire position. They\u2019re suffering from a critical lack of depth to cover for some key injuries in their starting rotation, and their healthy pitchers just aren\u2019t pitching all that well either. Thanks to the softness of the AL standings, Toronto still has an opportunity to improve their position, but they need to turn their situation around pretty quickly.<\/p>\n Blue Jays Lineup<\/p>\n Player<\/p>\n Position<\/p>\n Bats<\/p>\n PA<\/p>\n K%<\/p>\n BB%<\/p>\n ISO<\/p>\n wRC+<\/p>\n Player<\/p>\n Position<\/p>\n Bats<\/p>\n PA<\/p>\n K%<\/p>\n BB%<\/p>\n ISO<\/p>\n wRC+<\/p>\n Bo Bichette<\/p>\n SS<\/p>\n R<\/p>\n 171<\/p>\n 16.4%<\/p>\n 4.7%<\/p>\n 0.088<\/p>\n 94<\/p>\n Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/p>\n 1B<\/p>\n R<\/p>\n 162<\/p>\n 19.1%<\/p>\n 12.3%<\/p>\n 0.137<\/p>\n 133<\/p>\n Anthony Santander<\/p>\n DH<\/p>\n S<\/p>\n 160<\/p>\n 22.5%<\/p>\n 10.0%<\/p>\n 0.140<\/p>\n 76<\/p>\n George Springer<\/p>\n RF<\/p>\n R<\/p>\n 128<\/p>\n 25.8%<\/p>\n 16.4%<\/p>\n 0.212<\/p>\n 165<\/p>\n Daulton Varsho<\/p>\n CF<\/p>\n L<\/p>\n 26<\/p>\n 42.3%<\/p>\n 11.5%<\/p>\n 0.455<\/p>\n 184<\/p>\n Alejandro Kirk<\/p>\n C<\/p>\n R<\/p>\n 118<\/p>\n 12.7%<\/p>\n 3.4%<\/p>\n 0.080<\/p>\n 77<\/p>\n Addison Barger<\/p>\n 3B<\/p>\n L<\/p>\n 45<\/p>\n 17.8%<\/p>\n 6.7%<\/p>\n 0.073<\/p>\n 43<\/p>\n Nathan Lukes<\/p>\n LF<\/p>\n L<\/p>\n 61<\/p>\n 14.8%<\/p>\n 11.5%<\/p>\n 0.100<\/p>\n 116<\/p>\n Andr\u00e9s Gim\u00e9nez<\/p>\n 2B<\/p>\n L<\/p>\n 143<\/p>\n 18.2%<\/p>\n 7.0%<\/p>\n 0.109<\/p>\n 68<\/p>\n I mentioned some of the challenges the lineup has faced above, but it bears repeating: Since that last series against the M\u2019s, just four Blue Jays batters have had a wRC+ above league average, Guerrero Jr, Springer, Nathan Lukes (in 11 games), and Daulton Varsho (in 7 games after being activated off the IL on April 29). Varsho\u2019s return from his spring shoulder injury has been a particular boon as he\u2019s solidified their outfield defense while also hitting well. The big problem has been the new guys, Anthony Santander and Andr\u00e9s Gim\u00e9nez. Toronto was counting on both of them to provide a boost to the lineup, but they\u2019ve been a pretty significant drag instead. <\/p>\n Probable Pitchers <\/p>\n Updated Stuff+ Explainer<\/a> <\/p>\n Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Game 1 Pitching Matchup<\/p>\n Pitcher<\/p>\n IP<\/p>\n K%<\/p>\n BB%<\/p>\n HR\/FB%<\/p>\n GB%<\/p>\n ERA<\/p>\n FIP<\/p>\n Pitcher<\/p>\n IP<\/p>\n K%<\/p>\n BB%<\/p>\n HR\/FB%<\/p>\n GB%<\/p>\n ERA<\/p>\n FIP<\/p>\n Kevin Gausman<\/p>\n 40<\/p>\n 24.3%<\/p>\n 7.9%<\/p>\n 7.7%<\/p>\n 32.0%<\/p>\n 3.83<\/p>\n 3.44<\/p>\n Luis Castillo<\/p>\n 38 1\/3<\/p>\n 18.2%<\/p>\n 9.7%<\/p>\n 6.4%<\/p>\n 47.5%<\/p>\n 3.29<\/p>\n 3.87<\/p>\n RHP Kevin Gausman<\/p>\n Pitch<\/p>\n Frequency<\/p>\n Velocity<\/p>\n Stuff+<\/p>\n Whiff+<\/p>\n BIP+<\/p>\n xwOBA<\/p>\n Pitch<\/p>\n Frequency<\/p>\n Velocity<\/p>\n Stuff+<\/p>\n Whiff+<\/p>\n BIP+<\/p>\n xwOBA<\/p>\n Four-seam<\/p>\n 56.8%<\/p>\n 94.4<\/p>\n 106<\/p>\n 99<\/p>\n 61<\/p>\n 0.329<\/p>\n Splitter<\/p>\n 31.9%<\/p>\n 86.7<\/p>\n 95<\/p>\n 93<\/p>\n 110<\/p>\n 0.248<\/p>\n Slider<\/p>\n 11.2%<\/p>\n 83.7<\/p>\n 99<\/p>\n After two fantastic seasons to start his time in Toronto, Kevin Gausman\u2019s performance took a turn for the worse last year. His average fastball velocity dipped by nearly a full mile per hour and his entire repertoire felt the negative knock-on effects. Opposing batters simply stopped chasing his splitter out of the zone because they could sit on his suddenly hittable fastball. The velocity on his heater has rebounded a bit this year, but his strikeout-to-walk ratio hasn\u2019t really improved all that much. He\u2019s generating a lot more weak contact rather than getting swings and misses but it really seems like age has caught up to him these past two years. Make no mistake, he\u2019s still a very good pitcher, but maybe not a frontline ace like he was at his peak.<\/p>\n Game 2 Pitching Matchup<\/p>\n Pitcher<\/p>\n IP<\/p>\n K%<\/p>\n BB%<\/p>\n HR\/FB%<\/p>\n GB%<\/p>\n ERA<\/p>\n FIP<\/p>\n Pitcher<\/p>\n IP<\/p>\n K%<\/p>\n BB%<\/p>\n HR\/FB%<\/p>\n GB%<\/p>\n ERA<\/p>\n FIP<\/p>\n Bowden Francis<\/p>\n 35<\/p>\n 16.8%<\/p>\n 6.7%<\/p>\n 22.9%<\/p>\n 35.1%<\/p>\n 5.66<\/p>\n 6.78<\/p>\n Logan Evans<\/p>\n 10<\/p>\n 17.4%<\/p>\n 10.9%<\/p>\n 8.3%<\/p>\n 37.5%<\/p>\n 7.20<\/p>\n 4.29<\/p>\n RHP Bowden Francis<\/p>\n Pitch<\/p>\n Frequency<\/p>\n Velocity<\/p>\n Stuff+<\/p>\n Whiff+<\/p>\n BIP+<\/p>\n xwOBA<\/p>\n Pitch<\/p>\n Frequency<\/p>\n Velocity<\/p>\n Stuff+<\/p>\n Whiff+<\/p>\n BIP+<\/p>\n xwOBA<\/p>\n Four-seam<\/p>\n 56.7%<\/p>\n 92.4<\/p>\n 96<\/p>\n 59<\/p>\n 124<\/p>\n 0.370<\/p>\n Splitter<\/p>\n 24.0%<\/p>\n 81.9<\/p>\n 91<\/p>\n 109<\/p>\n 140<\/p>\n 0.482<\/p>\n Curveball<\/p>\n 14.4%<\/p>\n 73.2<\/p>\n 91<\/p>\n Slider<\/p>\n 3.8%<\/p>\n 81.9<\/p>\n From a previous series preview:<\/p>\n It took a while for Bowden Francis to find his breakthrough moment, but it finally happened over the final two months of the season last year. From August on, he was nearly unhittable, producing a 1.53 ERA while striking out 56 in 59 innings. He was never a highly regarded prospect and had only had experience as a long reliever in the big leagues up to that point. The key to unlocking that two-month hot streak was a new splitter that he picked up from his teammates during the offseason. As you\u2019d expect, he seriously outperformed his peripherals during those nine starts, but the contact management the split provided him and the command of his repertoire give him a better outlook than he had when he started the season.<\/p>\n None of the gains Francis featured late last year have carried over into this season. He isn\u2019t striking anyone out and batters are crushing the ball when they put his pitches in play. His best start of the season was his last outing against the Mariners, a six-inning, one-run affair where he struck out five.<\/p>\n Game 3 Pitching Matchup<\/p>\n Pitcher<\/p>\n IP<\/p>\n K%<\/p>\n BB%<\/p>\n HR\/FB%<\/p>\n GB%<\/p>\n ERA<\/p>\n FIP<\/p>\n Pitcher<\/p>\n IP<\/p>\n K%<\/p>\n BB%<\/p>\n HR\/FB%<\/p>\n GB%<\/p>\n ERA<\/p>\n FIP<\/p>\n Jos\u00e9 Ure\u00f1a<\/p>\n 7 1\/3<\/p>\n 14.3%<\/p>\n 5.7%<\/p>\n 20.0%<\/p>\n 25.0%<\/p>\n 8.59<\/p>\n 7.86<\/p>\n Bryce Miller<\/p>\n 34 2\/3<\/p>\n 21.5%<\/p>\n 12.8%<\/p>\n 5.1%<\/p>\n 34.4%<\/p>\n 4.15<\/p>\n 3.73<\/p>\n Thanks to a few key injuries and no starting pitching depth whatsoever, the Blue Jays scraped Jos\u00e9 Ure\u00f1a off the scrap heap after he was released by the Mets<\/a> after one disastrous outing in New York (though he did earn a save in that three-inning appearance). Ure\u00f1a might be familiar because he acted as a spot starter and long reliever for the Rangers last year, though he\u2019s pitched for six different organizations over the last four years so Toronto shouldn\u2019t get too comfortable with him. <\/p>\n The Big Picture:<\/p>\n AL West Standings<\/p>\n Team<\/p>\n W-L<\/p>\n W%<\/p>\n Games Behind<\/p>\n Recent Form<\/p>\n Team<\/p>\n W-L<\/p>\n W%<\/p>\n Games Behind<\/p>\n Recent Form<\/p>\n Mariners<\/p>\n 22-14<\/p>\n 0.611<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n W-L-L-W-W<\/p>\n Athletics<\/p>\n 20-18<\/p>\n 0.526<\/p>\n 3.0<\/p>\n L-W-W-L-L<\/p>\n Astros<\/p>\n 18-18<\/p>\n 0.500<\/p>\n 4.0<\/p>\n W-L-L-L-W<\/p>\n Rangers<\/p>\n 18-20<\/p>\n 0.474<\/p>\n 5.0<\/p>\n L-W-W-L-L<\/p>\n Angels<\/p>\n 15-21<\/p>\n 0.417<\/p>\n 7.0<\/p>\n W-L-W-W-L<\/p>\n After having a series stolen away from them by Seattle, the Athletics face a pretty tough slate of opponents over the next few weeks; they\u2019re hosting the Yankees this weekend and then travel to face the Dodgers<\/a> and Giants next week. The Astros<\/a> lost their series in Milwaukee earlier this week and return home to face the Reds this weekend. And the Rangers\u2019 fall down the standings continued with a series loss in Boston and now they\u2019ll head to Detroit to face the best team in the AL over the weekend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Mariners extended their series winning streak to nine, their longest as a franchise since 2001, and are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13964,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2392],"tags":[5,283,439,181,284,3229,3228,620,4,3227,619,65,3235,1646,3230,282,2411],"class_list":{"0":"post-13963","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-seattle-mariners","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-blue","10":"tag-exclude-from-stn-video","11":"tag-front-page","12":"tag-jays","13":"tag-landing","14":"tag-lookout","15":"tag-mariners","16":"tag-mlb","17":"tag-preview","18":"tag-seattle","19":"tag-seattle-mariners","20":"tag-seattlemariners","21":"tag-series","22":"tag-series-previews","23":"tag-toronto","24":"tag-vs"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/114479274802634467","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"MLB:](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/usa_today_26030790.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n