Blue Jays Announce Probable Starters vs. Red Sox to Open Homestand
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The Toronto Blue Jays are heading back to the Rogers Centre following a seven-game road trip, taking four games, but their heads might be hung low a tad. After dropping the series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies in extra innings, a tall task falls on the starting pitchers to kick off the homestand.
Set to take on their AL East rival, the Boston Red Sox, a team that has been firing on all cylinders and has fought its way back into playoff contention, the Blue Jays' bullpen is depleted following the excessive number of pitches thrown on the road trip.
According to Jayson Stark of The Athletic on X (formerly Twitter), with the Blue Jays playing four extra-inning games in the last five days across three different cities, their pitchers have thrown 874 pitches since Wednesday, Aug 5.
The four-game series will require the starting pitchers to go deep into games, allowing the bullpen to get some rest. Here is who the franchise is turning to for the big homestand.
Game 1 - Jameson Taillon
In his first outing since being traded to the Blue Jays from the Chicago Cubs, veteran Jameson Taillon went four innings, allowing three runs, six hits, and two walks, while striking out four against the Houston Astros in Toronto's 5-4 F/10 victory.
Taillon hasn't performed the best this season, entering the start with a 5.96 ERA, but has shown signs of success in the past, which manager John Schneider is banking on. Toronto used seven pitchers in the series finale against the Phillies, so for the sake of the pitching staff, Taillon needs to go a handful of innings.
Game 2 - Dylan Cease
Dylan Cease has vengeance on his mind following his last outing, in which he went seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out 10 in the Blue Jays' loss to the Cubs on Thursday. The Blue Jays might not be in the best spot, but Cease surely is amidst his Cy Young-type season.
This season, Cease has posted a 2.28 ERA, which ranks fourth-best in all of Major League Baseball. And with the Blue Jays taking on a divisional opponent, fans know there will be an extra drive in their ace on the mound.
Game 3 - Jose Soriano
The biggest trade deadline move for Toronto was acquiring Jose Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels, and it cost them a pretty penny. In his first outing as a Blue Jay, Soriano pitched in 4.2 innings and allowed two runs, one earned, with three strikeouts and three walks in the eventual 5-4 victory.
Getting quality outings out of Soriano is what the franchise is looking for moving forward, especially since he's a big piece of this team's future. Entering his next start, Soriano holds a 3.24 ERA and has punched out 130 on the season.
Game 4 - Max Scherzer
Wrapping up the series, veteran Max Scherzer will take the mound, looking to build off his back-to-back starts in August. This month, the future Hall of Famer has posted a 2.38 ERA in 11.1 innings of work. The biggest blows in his return have been the long ball.
If the 42-year-old can keep the ball in the ballpark, Toronto will have a solid chance at taking the series, depending on what unfolds from games one through three.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.