Blue Jays Slot Trio of Quality Starters Ahead of Critical Orioles Series

The Toronto Blue Jays have a quality trio of pitchers arranged for their upcoming three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles, which starts on Friday.

The Blue Jays (8-6) are in second place in the American League East Division, one game behind the New York Yankees. The Orioles (5-8), an undeniably talented team, is in last place in the division going into the series.

Toronto hosted Baltimore on opening weekend, as the Orioles made the trip to the Rogers Centre for a four-game series. The two teams split the series.

The Blue Jays won’t have to face Orioles ace Zach Eflin this time. Eflin was Baltimore’s opening day starter, but he now on the 15-day injured list with a right lat strain. He would have been the starter on Sunday. As of this writing, Baltimore has not set its starter for the final game in the series.

But the Blue Jays have set their starters for all three games and all three are pitching well.

Friday’s game starts at 7:05 p.m. at Camden Yards and Toronto will start right-hander Bowden Francis (1-1, 3.18) against Baltimore left-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (1-1, 2.89).

Francis has crafted two solid starts this season but is coming off a loss in his last outing against the New York Mets. He pitched 5.1 innings and gave up six hits, two earned runs and two walks. He also struck out six hitters. In 11.1 innings so far, he’s given up just eight hits and struck out 10.

Sugano is coming off his first Major League win last weekend against the Kansas City Royals. He went 5.1 innings, giving up five hits, one earned run and one walk. He also struck out four.

Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos (1-1, 4.58), who absorbed the loss on opening day against Baltimore, will start in Saturday’s game against Orioles left-hander Cade Povich (0-1, 3.48) in a game set for 4:05 p.m.

Saturday will be Berrios’ fourth start of the season. Against Baltimore on March 27, he gave up nine hits and six earned runs in five innings. But he’s coming off a victory against the Boston Red Sox, as he pitched seven innings and gave up four hits, one earned run and three walks against two strikeouts.

Povich gave up 12 hits in his last start, as he pitched six innings for the first time this season. He gave up only one earned run and no walks but struck out four.

Sunday’s finale is set for 1:35 p.m. and the Blue Jays will start left-hander Easton Lewis (2-0, 0.00).

Lewis has been sharp in both of his starts. He’s given up four hits in 10.1 innings without allowing a run. He struck out 11 and walked three.

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