The Toronto Blue Jays will be out to extend their nine-game home winning streak Sunday afternoon and complete a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants.
The Blue Jays clinched the series win with a 6-3 victory on Saturday and have won seven of their past eight series at home.
The last time Toronto won nine games in a row at home was in 2015. The longest home winning streak in franchise history is 10 in 1985.
The Blue Jays are 34-16 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto this season.
The Giants hope former Blue Jays pitcher Robbie Ray (9-3, 2.65 ERA) can salvage the series finale on Sunday and end their four-game losing streak. The left-hander is 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three career starts against the Blue Jays. Ray won the American League Cy Young Award when he was with Toronto in 2021.
Right-hander Jose Berrios (5-4, 3.75) is Toronto’s scheduled starter for Sunday. He gave up two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings and got the win in his only start against the Giants, in 2017.
The Blue Jays continued to get contributions from the bottom of the lineup on Saturday. Ernie Clement had an RBI single, Will Wagner had a two-run double for the second game in a row and Tyler Heineman had an RBI double and a two-run home run.
“That’s huge when the bottom of the order can get it done,” Clement said. “It takes a lot of pressure off the top. That’s our job.”
“When you know you’re hitting 7-8-9, whatever it is, the tendency is to kind of chase results,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “And the guys aren’t doing that. You have to have nine players trying to be the starter. … We’ve stressed that from the get-go this year, and they have embraced it.”
The Giants scored for the first time in the series — they were shut out 4-0 in the series opener — when Willy Adames homered with one out in the fifth against left-hander Eric Lauer, who had been perfect until that point. Adames also homered in the seventh against Chad Green.
The first homer by Adames was the first run of the game. San Francisco added a run in the top of the sixth before Toronto answered with four in the bottom of the inning against Logan Webb.
“At the moment it felt great, like maybe it could start something going for the team,” Adames said. “But, unfortunately, we couldn’t back (Webb) up. It’s been a little tough, obviously, to start after the break 0-2. Not the greatest, but we have a really good group here and I know we’re going to click sooner than later and play better baseball.”
Webb was not pleased.
“It’s the second time in a row I’ve given up four runs in the sixth inning, so I have to figure something out,” he said.
The Blue Jays outhit the Giants 14-4 on Saturday. San Francisco had two hits against Lauer and two more against right-handed relievers. Left-hander Brendon Little pitched a perfect eighth.
“We’ve struggled with lefties all year,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “It has been a little better the last month or so, but it’s been a sore spot for us.”
The Giants are 10-17 against left-handed starters.
“We have not done enough against lefties,” Melvin said.
In the series against the Blue Jays, the Giants have not done enough against anyone. Giants’ hitters have struck out 21 times and have not walked.
–Field Level Media
