The Toronto Blue Jays will look to even their three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday afternoon, with Kevin Gausman taking the mound.
Toronto dropped the opener 7-2 on Friday night in a game that carried a playoff-like atmosphere. The loss allowed the Detroit Tigers to leapfrog the Blue Jays for the best record in the American League, while Toronto’s lead atop the AL East narrowed to three games over the New York Yankees and 3.5 over the Boston Red Sox.
Gausman (8-10, 3.87 ERA) will be tasked with getting the Blue Jays back on track. The right-hander has endured an uneven August, going 1-3 with a 4.06 ERA across five starts.
The 34-year-old does own a strong track record against Milwaukee, however, with a 2-0 record and a 1.57 ERA in six career appearances.
Bo Bichette extended his hitting streak to 13 games Friday with a two-hit night and will try to kickstart a better night for the Blue Jays offence. Over the 13-game stretch, Bichette is hitting .442 with five doubles and eight RBIs.
Toronto will also be monitoring the status of outfielder Daulton Varsho after he left Friday’s game in the seventh inning when a pitch struck his right hand. X-rays came back negative, manager John Schneider said after the game.
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Watch Blue Jays vs. Brewers on Sportsnet
The Toronto Blue Jays will look to bounce back against the best team in baseball when they face the Milwaukee Brewers for Game 2 of their three-game set Saturday. Catch the action on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+ starting at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT.
But the Blue Jays will once again have their work cut out for them as Milwaukee counters with right-hander Quinn Priester (11-2, 3.44 ERA), who has been on a remarkable run, winning 10 consecutive decisions while posting a 3.01 ERA in his past 15 outings.
Priester will also be backed by a lineup that regains rookie outfielder Jackson Chourio, who returns from a hamstring strain. The Brewers offence showed its depth Friday, breaking through late against Shane Bieber and going 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Watch Toronto and Gausman try to avoid back-to-back losses at home against the top team in baseball on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ with Blue Jays Central previewing the action at 2:30 p.m. ET.
