September baseball has finally arrived.
The AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays open the final month of the regular season with a three-game series on the road against the Cincinnati Reds beginning Monday.
Live coverage on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ begins with Blue Jays Central at 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT, followed by first pitch at 1:10 p.m. ET / 10:10 a.m. PT.
Entering the final stretch, the Blue Jays (79-58) hold a three-game division lead on the New York Yankees (76-61) and a 3.5-game edge on the Boston Red Sox (76-62).
Toronto also sits a half-game behind the Detroit Tigers (80-58) for top spot in the American League. The top two teams receive byes into the ALDS.
Chris Bassitt will get the start against the Reds as the Blue Jays look to begin September with a win after an uneven August in which they posted a 15-12 record.
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Watch Blue Jays vs. Reds on Sportsnet
The Toronto Blue Jays head to Great American Ball Park for a Labour Day matinee against the Cincinnati Reds. Catch the action on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+ starting at 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT.
Bassitt (11-7, 4.14 ERA) enjoyed a solid month himself, allowing 11 runs and striking out 27 opponents over 27 innings.
He’ll share the mound Monday with Reds starter Hunter Greene (5-4, 2.81 ERA), a flamethrower who’s fanned 21 batters in three August starts (17.1 innings) since returning from injury.
Toronto is coming off a series-salvaging 8-4 win against the MLB-leading Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday in which a bullpen that has become a major question in recent weeks appeared to stabilize itself.
Prior to Sunday’s action, Blue Jays relievers held the second-worst ERA in MLB since the All-Star break. However, they combined for five innings of shutout baseball against the Brewers in relief of Max Scherzer.
The bullpen also received a reinforcement Monday as rosters expanded from 26 to 28, with each club allowed to add one hitter and one pitcher.
Right-hander Dillon Tate, who made five appearances for the Blue Jays in April and May, was called up from triple-A to augment the relief corps, and infielder Isiah Kaner-Falefa, who was claimed on waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, also joined the team.
Kiner-Falefa returns to the Blue Jays after spending the first half of the 2024 season with the club prior to a deadline trade to the Pirates. He batted .292 with seven home runs in his brief stint with Toronto last year.
Jose Berrios and Shane Bieber will start in the final two games of the Cincinnati series before the Blue Jays head to Yankee Stadium for what could be a massive three-game series against New York beginning Friday.
