Blue Jays Face Guardians in Series Opener at Home

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Toronto Blue Jays will start a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday at home. The game marks the first meeting between the two teams this season.

Toronto heads into the matchup with a 15-16 record, including 10 wins at home. The Blue Jays rank eighth in the American League with a .308 on-base percentage. Recently, their hitting performance has seen some struggles, with the team batting just .194 over the last 10 games and losing seven of those.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stands out as a top performer for Toronto. He has hit four home runs and has driven in 17 runs while batting .267 for the season. Bo Bichette has also contributed, going 11-for-42 with two doubles and one RBI in his last 10 games.

On the other side, Cleveland‘s Guardians hold an overall record of 18-13 and have a 7-8 record on the road. They boast a strong performance when they manage to get at least eight hits in a game, winning 12 of those matchups. Steven Kwan leads the Guardians with a .311 batting average, complemented by four home runs and 15 RBIs. Angel Martinez has also been productive, going 10-for-29 with three RBIs over the last 10 games.

In terms of recent performance, the Guardians have fared better in their last 10 games, holding a 6-4 record despite their batting average of .223. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have been outscored by 34 runs during their recent stretch.

Injury woes are affecting both teams. The Blue Jays are dealing with several players on the injured list, including Ryan Burr, Nick Sandlin, and Max Scherzer. Cleveland’s pitching staff has also been hit hard, with Paul Sewald and Shane Bieber among those sidelined.

With both teams looking to gain momentum, Friday’s game promises to be an important matchup in their respective seasons.