Blue Jays Shake Up Lineup With Chance to Complete Four-Game Sweep of Red Sox
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The Toronto Blue Jays may have finally turned the page this year and found some much-needed momentum. As they step into Rogers Centre on Thursday for the series finale, they will try to keep it all rolling.
Toronto is entering the final game of the four-game series with a 59-63 record and having won the first three of the set. The Blue Jays came from behind to win on Wednesday with a score of 6-4. The eighth inning was a good time for the team when they put up five marks on the scoreboard. That secured their third straight win and handed the Red Sox their fifth consecutive loss.
Manager John Schneider is making several changes to the starting lineup to finish off the series.
Blue Jays Change Things Up Against Left-Hander
Charles McAdoo remains the leadoff man for the Jays, but he is moving from third base to left field. This will move Kazuma Okamoto, who delivered the go-ahead RBI single during Wednesday’s victory, to move from designated hitter to third base.
George Springer is returning to the lineup in the DH position while batting in the cleanup spot.
Brett Valenzuela will be taking the duties behind the plate for the finale.
Toronto will face Boston’s left-hander Payton Tolle, who is taking the mound with a 7-6 record and a 3.20 ERA with 124 strikeouts.
Blue Jays Starting Lineup:
- Charles McAdoo, LF
- Ernie Clement, 2B
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
- George Springer, DH
- Kazuma Okamoto, 3B
- Andres Gimenez, SS (L)
- Brett Valenzuela, C (S)
- Myles Straw, CF
- Nathan Lukes, RF (L)
Toronto Makes Bullpen Moves
The lineup isn’t the only thing changing for Toronto.
The Blue Jays recalled right-hander Lazaro Estrada from Triple-A Buffalo and will be active for the finale. Left-hander Brendon Little was moved to the paternity list.
Estrada is returning only a few days after being optioned to Buffalo. The 27-year-old has made seven appearances for the team this season, where he has earned a 4.50 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in 12 innings of work. He has forced eight strikeouts and earned one save.
His return will give Schneider one more right-handed option to follow Thursday’s starter, Max Scherzer.
Blue Jays Can Finish Off Boston
Scherzer is entering the finale with a disappointing 1-4 record on the year. He has posted a 7.25 ERA and 27 strikeouts. The veteran pitcher is taking the ball when the Blue Jays need him to really keep the momentum going.
Those numbers really are not what anyone envisioned from the star, but on the encouraging side, his last two starts have been quite a bit better than his season numbers suggest. He only allowed one run in six innings against St. Louis on August 2, and then two runs in 5.1 innings against the Phillies on August 8.
Toronto has now won nine of the last 13. This is really giving the team some renewed life heading into the last six weeks of the regular season.
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Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NFL, and WNBA. Laura covers the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Rodeo for On SI. You can reach her at lauralambertmedia@gmail.com