Blue Jays Set Their Lineup as They Look to Snap Losing Streak Against Rangers

Toronto faces Cal Quantrill this Saturday after Texas defeated the Blue Jays 7-1 in Game 1, taking advantage of Dylan Cease’s command problems.

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4). Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texas Rangers had won their first four games against the Toronto Blue Jays, with three games ending by one run during the four-game series at the end of June at Rogers Centre.

Not even Toronto’s ace, Dylan Cease, could stop the Rangers. Cease entered the first game of the series with a lot at stake. In addition to being the Blue Jays’ main starter throughout the season, the right-hander has been in the American League Cy Young conversation. According to FanGraphs’ prediction, Cam Schlittler leads the league with 133.0 points, and Cease remains in second place with 115.2.

The Rangers did not allow him to settle in. Cease recorded just eight outs, issued six walks and allowed four runs in the second inning, although only one was earned after shortstop Ernie Clement’s error. The last time Cease pitched fewer than five innings was precisely against the Rangers, when he left the mound after 4 2/3 innings on June 27 in Toronto. In that game, Cease struck out 10 opponents, but allowed four earned runs and Texas eventually won the game 7-4.

On Friday night at Globe Life Field, the Rangers prevailed 7-1 in Game 1, so the Blue Jays will need a quick reaction, as they are now two games away from the Wild Card when only eight games remain in the regular season. With the victory, Texas moved back into a tie with Houston atop the AL West.

A Special Day 4 Springer 🫶

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— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 19, 2026

Starting Lineup for Game 2

1. Brett Bateman — CF
2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — 1B
3. Alejandro Kirk — C
4. George Springer — DH
5. Nathan Lukes — RF
6. Kazuma Okamoto — 3B
7. Josh Smith — 2B
8. Andrés Giménez — SS
9. Myles Straw — LF

Soriano Has the Challenge of Stopping the Texas Offense

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Soriano (40). Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

José Soriano comes in with a 12-7 record and a 3.56 ERA in 169 1/3 innings, but his last seven starts have been less consistent, posting a 4.54 ERA in 41 2/3 innings, with 12 walks and 29 strikeouts. His high walk rate and the opportunities the Dominican right-hander may offer when falling behind in the count will be the central point of his outing.

Texas has shown all year that it can prevail in close games, with a 23-17 record in games decided by one run. Toronto’s record is adverse, at 19-23 in those types of decisions. Soriano has an arsenal capable of limiting hard contact, especially if his sinker and knuckle-curve bring the command and consistency he needs around the strike zone to challenge hitters. After Cease could only pitch 2 2/3 innings in Game 1, Toronto needs durability from Soriano to prevent the bullpen’s workload from becoming overloaded again.

He will have to be careful with several Rangers hitters such as Corey Seager, who is hitting .364 against him in 11 at-bats, with one home run, three RBIs and a 1.136 OPS; Wyatt Langford, who has four hits in eight at-bats and three RBIs; in addition to Jake Burger, who also has four hits with two RBIs.

In his history, Soriano has also shown dominance against several of Texas’ key hitters, leaving Evan Carter (.125), Josh Jung (.111) and Brandon Nimmo (.143) below a .200 batting average.

Quantrill Is Pitching Better, Can the Blue Jays Figure Out His Pitches?

The challenge for Toronto will be different from the one Texas faced on Friday, as right-hander Cal Quantrill (9-5 and a 2.90 ERA) is going through one of his best stretches of the year in his last seven starts, pitching to a 1.88 ERA in 43 innings, with 38 strikeouts and just six walks. Quantrill went 4-12 with a 6.04 ERA last year and, when it seemed that no team would have interest in him, the Rangers put their trust in his experience. The results have been revealing.

Quantrill recovered his sinker, which allowed a .473 slugging percentage last year and has left the league this time with only a .216 batting average and a .315 slugging percentage, allowing just one home run in 119 plate appearances. His four-seam fastball and split-finger have also been key in his arsenal, becoming for the first time since 2021 two weapons with which Quantrill is generating a whiff percentage above 24%.

Now, another key point here is that he has been lethal in his three challenges against Toronto, where he has covered 17 innings with 21 strikeouts, just three walks and a 1.59 ERA. During that span, Quantrill has an active streak of 13 consecutive innings without allowing runs since he was pitching for the San Diego Padres. Some of the matchups that could be key show how difficult it has been for Toronto to figure out Quantrill. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has one hit in seven at-bats with one walk, Kazuma Okamoto is 0-for-2 and Alejandro Kirk is 0-for-5, with both failing to reach base.

The Blue Jays had dominated the series 4-2 over the last two seasons, but this year Texas has changed the story and these last matchups could be key to the aspirations of both teams to reach the postseason.