The Toronto Blue Jays have given themselves a chance for an excellent road trip.
Now, they have to finish the job.
Coming off a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox, the Blue Jays play four games against the struggling and short-handed Cleveland Guardians before returning home.
On paper, everything looks good for Toronto.
Here’s all you need to know about the series.
Probable Pitchers
Monday, 7:10 p.m. ET / 4:10 p.m. PT: Toronto LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (0-1, 7.20 ERA) vs. Cleveland RHP Gavin Williams (1-3, 3.38 ERA)
Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. ET / 4:10 p.m. PT: Toronto LHP Yusei Kikuchi (9-3, 3.67 ERA) vs. Cleveland RHP Tanner Bibee (7-2, 3.14 ERA)
Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. ET / 4:10 p.m. PT: Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (8-6, 3.20 ERA) vs. Cleveland LHP Logan Allen (5-4, 3.65 ERA)
Thursday, 1:10 p.m. ET / 10:10 a.m. PT: Toronto RHP Alek Manoah (3-8, 5.72 ERA) vs. Cleveland RHP Noah Syndergaard (1-5, 6.75 ERA)
All games on Sportsnet and SN NOW.
Latest on the Blue Jays
After losing their first seven games of the season against the Red Sox, Toronto (63-50) flipped the script on its division rival over the weekend.
Led by unheralded call-up Davis Schneider, the previously light-hitting Jays scored 25 runs in three games. Toronto capped the series with a 13-1 laugher on Sunday.
Schneider had nine hits and two homers in the series as he made a record-setting major-league debut after smacking 21 home runs with triple-A Buffalo this year.
Just two games up on Boston for the final wild-card spot entering the weekend, the Blue Jays put some distance between themselves and the Red Sox.
The Seattle Mariners are now the closest pursuer of Toronto, sitting 2.5 games back.
Latest on the Guardians
Despite being in a close race with the Minnesota Twins for first place in the weak AL Central for most of the year, the Guardians were a seller at the trade deadline.
They traded top starter Aaron Civale to the Tampa Bay Rays and slugger Josh Bell to the Miami Marlins.
After losing two of three to the lowly Chicago White Sox this weekend, Cleveland (54-58) is now 4.5 games back of the Twins.
Two ninth-inning errors by third baseman Brayan Rocchio in the ninth inning Sunday helped the White Sox score three runs en route to a come-from-behind 5-3 win.
Cleveland has lost seven of its last 10.
Rough Stuff
The Guardians will be without five-time All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez, who was suspended for three games for decking White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson with a huge punch on Saturday in an incident that started a bench-clearing brawl.
Both players were ejected, along with Cleveland manager Terry Francona, third base coach Mike Sarbaugh, closer Emmanuel Clase and Chicago manager Pedro Grifol.
Major League Baseball also suspended Clase and Francona one game each.
The Anderson-Ramirez fight began innocently enough.
When Ramirez slid headfirst into second base with an RBI double in the sixth inning, Anderson was straddling over the top of him. Ramirez later said he felt Anderson’s tag was too hard and indicated he had been bothered by Chicago’s star for “disrespecting” the game.
Anderson dropped his glove and squared off against Ramirez, who swung wildly and connected to drop Anderson. As both benches and bullpens emptied, Anderson tried in vain to get at Ramirez before being forced into Chicago’s dugout.
Injury Report
The Guardians’ starting rotation is down to three rookies (their first three starters in this series) and Syndergaard thanks to injuries to Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie and Canadian Cal Quantrill.
Canadian first baseman Josh Naylor (oblique strain) also is expected to miss the next month.
The Blue Jays also have a number of injuries, though they have a healthy rotation that now features six starters.
Outfielder Kevin Kiermaier cut his elbow on a leaping catch Sunday and is day-to-day, along with catcher Danny Jansen (wrist).
Closer Jordan Romano, shortstop Bo Bichette and reliever Trevor Richards are on the injured list.
Head to Head
This is the first of two series for the Blue Jays and Guardians this season. The teams are at Rogers Centre for three games Aug. 25-27.
The Guardians won last year’s season series 5-2.
Out of Town
The Mariners are off Monday before beginning a two-game series against the visiting San Diego Padres, who are trying to charge back into the playoff picture.
The AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles, who are 7.5 games ahead of the third-place Blue Jays, begin a three-game series against the visiting Houston Astros on Tuesday. Houston has the second wild-card spot and is one game ahead of Toronto.
The Rays, who hold the first wild-card spot and are 4.5 games ahead of the Blue Jays, host the out-of-contention St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game series starting Tuesday.
Up Next
The Blue Jays return home for a three-game weekend series against the Chicago Cubs, who are tied for the final wild-card spot in the National League. Jose Bautista will see his name go up on the Level of Excellence before Saturday’s game.
The series against the Cubs will cap a stretch of 17 games in as many days for the Blue Jays.
— with files from The Associated Press
