Blue Jays Set Starting Line Up for Must-Win Game After Brutal Loss Monday
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Monday night, the Toronto Blue Jays opened up a series against one of the lesser teams in the American League, the Detroit Tigers, and while they were in full control for most of the game, it ended in a heartbreaker as things quickly fell apart in the later innings.
The Jays are in the thick of a mediocre playoff race for the final wild card spot as it appears nobody really wants to play baseball next month, and that includes Toronto who cannot stay above .500 if their season depended on it, which it does.
From the jump, the Blue Jays had plenty of base runners, which is why they were able to knock Troy Melton off the hill after 2.2 innings. However, despite loading the bases twice against Melton, they never cashed in, which became a problem as the game went on.
Oof...
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 15, 2026
Jays pitcher Louis Varland can't handle the throw while covering 1st, and the Tigers take the lead in the 9thpic.twitter.com/BIFYHMKALo
Ultimately, by the end of the third, it should have easily been 5-0, but when a team can hang around, especially one with some pretty talented offense, they will get a chance to win the game, which is exactly what Detroit did.
Had the Jays capitalized on even half of their opportunities, the pitching staff would have had very little pressure on themselves, which was crucial with key high-leverage relievers unavailable as both Tyler Rogers and Mason Fluharty had pitched the previous two days.
This was a tough pill to swallow, but this team needs to bounce back Tuesday night.
Starting Lineup For Game 2
The thing is, the top of the order has looked pretty dang strong as of late, so it isn't shocking that it's not getting mixed up much. Still, somehow, someway Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continues to kill rallies as the third man, which was heavily downplayed in the loss Monday night.
- CF Brett Bateman
- DH George Springer
- 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- C Alejandro Kirk
- RF Nathan Lukes
- 3B Kazuma Okamoto
- SS Andres Gimenez
- LF Josh Smith
- 2B Ernie Clement
In the first inning, Guerrero came up to the plate with a pair of runners on, no outs and he grounds it right into the dirt, and it only got worse from there. When his turn came around again in the third, the bases were loaded, and he drilled it into the ground again.
The seventh: the Jays now find themselves in a hole, and while this was a flyout, it is baffling that he cannot handle a slow slider in the middle of the plate. He would get one final chance to do something in the clutch in the final inning, and after George Springer drew a leadoff walk, he struck out on four pitches.
Unfortunately, if Vladdy doesn't figure it out in a hurry, Toronto will likely miss the playoffs, and if they do get in, they won't find any success. Things have to turn around, and in a hurry.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.