The Toronto Blue Jays look to avoid a series loss against the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Saturday afternoon.
The Guardians took the opener of the three-game road series 5-2 on Friday, and they have won three of the five games between the teams this year. The clubs split four games in Cleveland from Aug. 7-10.
The Blue Jays, who returned home on Friday after a 3-3 road trip, have lost three straight.
It was a disappointing beginning to a stretch of 15 straight games against teams with records below .500 for the Blue Jays, who are pursuing an American League wild-card spot.
Toronto is scheduled to start left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu (2-1, 1.89 ERA) on Saturday. In four career starts against Cleveland, Ryu is 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA. He threw four scoreless, hitless innings against the Guardians in a no-decision on Aug. 7, exiting after he was hit on the right knee by a line drive from Oscar Gonzalez.
Ryu didn’t end up missing a start due to the ailment.
Cleveland will give the ball to rookie Logan Allen (6-6, 3.31 ERA) on Saturday. The left-hander allowed one run and four hits over five innings in a 1-0 loss to the Blue Jays on Aug. 9, his lone career appearance against Toronto.
The Blue Jays, who have scored a total of five runs in their past three games, got homers from George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on Friday.
“We have the guys in the locker room who can do it,” said Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt, who allowed four runs in 5 2/3 innings to take the loss. “There’s a lot of teams in the race sometimes, and they just don’t have the guys to do it. We have the guys to do it. We just got to get it done.”
The series opener was a happy homecoming for Guardians catcher Bo Naylor, who hit his fifth home run of the season in the third inning. It was the first major league game at Rogers Centre for Naylor, who is from the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, Ontario. He played games there as an amateur.
“I had a stir of emotions, a lot of thoughts as I ran the bases,” Naylor said. “I thought about all the times I played on this field, all those times working up to this moment.
“It made it super special having the people I love, who are closest to me, to be here. Adding a win to all of that, it was a great night.”
Bo Naylor’s older brother Josh is a first baseman for the Guardians, but he is on the injured list due to an oblique strain.
Bo Naylor has struggled at the plate in his rookie season, as he is batting just .206.
“Bo has had a lot thrown at him this year,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “I still contend that when you see him next year he will look different.”
The Guardians got a two-run home run and an RBI double on Friday from Ramon Laureano, who started in right field after Will Brennan (right knee strain) was a late scratch.
“I found out about three hours before the game,” said Laureano, who was claimed on waivers from the Oakland Athletics on Aug. 7. “I’m always ready because of my role. I’m just doing my job and good things happen.”
