Right-handed pitcher Jose Berrios heads to the hill Saturday afternoon as the Toronto Blue Jays aim to end their four-game losing skid when the face the Cleveland Guardians.
Berrios picked up his team-leading sixth win during his previous outing this past Sunday against the Guardians. The 30-year-old pitched four scoreless innings before conceding two runs in the fifth and a two-run homer from Guardians infielder Daniel Schneemann in the sixth. Berrios (6-5, 3.13 ERA) also recorded zero walks and one strikeout as Toronto held on to win 7-6.
Coincidentally, the Guardians will turn to Edward Lively (6-3, 3.02), who picked up the loss in that game. Lively is looking to bounce back after giving up four runs on six hits with three walks in only four innings of work.
Since that win over the Guardians, the Blue Jays have spiralled, suffering a three-game sweep by the Boston Red Sox followed by a 7-1 blowout loss in Friday’s series opener at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
The Guardians got to Blue Jays rookie pitcher Yariel Rodriguez in the second inning. After a clean first inning, Rodriguez was tagged for five runs, four of them earned, on two hits while issuing three walks. It was the first start of the season for Rodriguez following a stint on the injured list due to thoracic spine inflammation.
Toronto has been outscored 25-10 during the four-game skid.
Star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scored the team’s lone run Friday night with a homer in the fourth inning. Guerrero Jr., who recently celebrated five years in the majors with a hair cut, is batting .320 over the past seven games.
Orelvis Martinez, one of the Blue Jays’ top prospects, made his major-league debut. Martinez went 1-for-3 and earned his first career hit with a single in the sixth. The 22-year-old Martinez was called up from triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday after the Blue Jays placed shortstop Bo Bichette on the 10-day injured list due to a right calf strain.
Martinez is not in the starting lineup Saturday though as Isiah Kiner-Falefa is penciled in at shortstop and batting leadoff.
Berrios will have to watch out for Canadian Josh Naylor. The Guardians first baseman from Mississauga, Ont., is 6-for-13 all-time against him. Naylor went 2-for-4 Friday and kicked off the second with a double then hit a two-run single later in his second at-bat of the inning.
Toronto (35-40) is fifth in the American League East while Cleveland (47-26) tops the Central Division.
Watch the Blue Jays take on the Guardians live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ with first pitch at 4:10 p.m. ET / 1:10 p.m. PT.