Sports
Blue Jays Turn to Ace Dylan Cease as They Open Series Against Athletics
The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to bounce back after a 6-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday snapped their season-high four-game winning streak. The team now begins a three-game series against the Athletics on Monday, with right-hander Dylan Cease starting against Jacob Lopez. Coverage begins at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+, with first pitch scheduled for 10:05 p.m. ET.
Toronto sits at 72-72, half a game behind the Cleveland Guardians (73-72) for the third and final American League wild-card spot. Cleveland lost 6-4 to the Baltimore Orioles (70-75) earlier Monday, while Toronto will look to gain ground against the last-place Athletics (57-87).
Cease, a top contender for the AL Cy Young Award alongside New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler, holds a 10-5 record and 2.25 ERA through 26 starts this season, with 221 strikeouts in 156.1 innings. He has been especially sharp in his last three outings, pitching at least six innings each time while allowing only two runs on 10 hits and recording 20 strikeouts. Over his last two starts, he has walked just one batter.
Cease's first appearance for the Blue Jays came against the Athletics on March 28, when he threw 5.1 innings, allowing three hits and one run while striking out 12 in a game that contributed to Toronto's season-opening three-game sweep of Oakland.
Lopez, a left-hander, enters Monday's game with a 4.71 ERA and 1.46 WHIP over 23 appearances, including 20 starts. Right-handed hitters have batted .267 against him this season with a .817 OPS and 15 home runs, while left-handed batters have managed just a .204 average, .578 OPS and two home runs. Toronto could lean on right-handed hitters such as George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Ernie Clement in its lineup.
The Blue Jays are aiming for their fourth consecutive series win, having already swept the Seattle Mariners and taken series against both the Guardians and Royals.
In other AL wild-card matchups Monday, the Detroit Tigers (65-78) host the Minnesota Twins (68-75) to begin a three-game series, while the Texas Rangers (71-73) are off before starting a three-game set against the Mariners (67-77) on Tuesday.