The Toronto Blue Jays (1-2) continue a season-opening, 10-game road trip on Monday with a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals (0-3).
The Blue Jays are hoping their fortunes change after losing the final two games of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on the weekend.
Toronto is still looking for its first home run of the season — the Blue Jays are one of just two teams (the other is the Milwaukee Brewers) without a homer after three games.
It’s the first time in franchise history Toronto has gone homer-less in its first three games.
Here’s a look at the Blue Jays-Royals series.
Probable Pitchers
Monday, 7:40 p.m. ET / 4:40 p.m. PT: Toronto RHP Jose Berrios (12-7, 5.22 ERA in 2022) vs. Kansas City RHP Brady Singer (10-5, 3.23 ERA in 2022), Sportsnet / SN NOW
Tuesday, 7:40 p.m. ET / 4:40 p.m. PT: Toronto LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-7, 5.19 ERA in 2022) vs. Kansas City LHP Kris Bubic (3-13, 5.58 ERA in 2022), Sportsnet ONE / SN NOW
Wednesday, 7:40 p.m. ET / 4:40 p.m. PT: Toronto RHP Alek Manoah (0-0, 13.50 ERA in 2023) vs. Kansas City RHP Zack Greinke (0-1, 3.38 ERA in 2023), Sportsnet ONE / SN NOW
Thursday, 2:10 p.m. ET / 11:10 a.m. PT: Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (0-1, 0.00 ERA in 2023) vs. Kansas City RHP Jordan Lyles (0-1, 1.69 ERA in 2023), Sportsnet / SN NOW
Latest on the Blue Jays
Toronto got two shaky starts from Manoah and Chris Bassitt in their series in St. Louis, though the Blue Jays managed to win 10-9 in the opener despite their ace’s troubles.
The Blue Jays failed to take advantage of a wild Jack Flaherty in the second game of the series as the Cardinals starter walked seven batters, but didn’t give up a run or hit in five innings.
The rubber match was far more of a pitching problem as Bassitt gave up back-to-back homers in his Blue Jays debut and allowed nine runs overall.
All eyes will be on Berrios and Kikuchi in Kansas City as they make their first starts of the season after pitching below expectations last year.
Latest on the Royals
The good news for the Royals is they scored a run — actually four — on Sunday.
The bad news is they still lost 7-4 to the visiting Minnesota Twins after losing a pair of 2-0 games to open the season.
The run total matches the 1999 Royals for fewest runs over the first three games of a season for the franchise.
The Royals are in true rebuild mode with a new GM (J.J. Picollo) and manager (former Tampa Bay Rays coach Matt Quatraro). Kansas City hasn’t had a winning season since it captured the World Series in 2015 — following an ALCS victory over the Blue Jays.
The roster is quite similar to last year when the Royals went 65-97.
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who finished fourth in AL rookie of the year voting last year, is hitless so far this season.
Welcome back, Whit
Blue Jays infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield returns to Kansas City for the first time since he was acquired in a deadline deal with the Royals last year.
A 2010 Royals draft pick, Merrifield was a two-time All-Star with the Royals.
Merrifield slashed .281/.323/.446 with five homers and 16 RBI in 44 games with Toronto last season.
Marquee Matchup
Manoah will look to bounce back against one of the best pitchers of the past decade — Greinke.
The six-time All-Star, 39, signed his second one-year contract in a row with the Royals this off-season, staying with the team where he started his career (2004-10).
Greinke won the Cy Young as a Royal in 2009.
2022 Season Series
The Blue Jays won five of seven against the Royals.
In a four-game series in Toronto in July, the Royals didn’t have 10 players because of COVID-19 border rules. Toronto won three of four.
Familiar face
Veteran outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., a late-season pickup by the Blue Jays last year, is on the Royals roster after his contract was selected from triple-A Omaha prior to the season opener.
They Said It
“You would have thought we had 13 home runs in there. Little exhale.”
— Royals infielder Matt Duffy on the team’s reaction after Edward Olivares’ home run in the second inning on Sunday gave Kansas City its first run of the season.
Up Next
The Blue Jays conclude their road trip with three games against the Los Angeles Angels, starting Friday. The Blue Jays likely will not face Shohei Ohtani on the mound as his next start is Wednesday.
