After dealing with Eury Pérez, Miami’s young and talented ace, for six-plus innings on Sunday, the Blue Jays are getting another team’s best tonight.
That would be Twins righty Joe Ryan, whose name was peppered around trade deadline talks last month. Despite a reported last-day effort by the Boston Red Sox, Ryan remained with Minnesota, and he continues to spearhead their rotation as well as sit among the American League’s best pitchers.
Ryan, who is on track to make 30 starts in a single season for the first time in his career, has posted a 2.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and a 10.0 K/9 versus a 1.8 BB/9 this season. He ranks fourth in the American League in wins, fifth in ERA, and seventh in strikeouts. He’s had tremendous numbers against the AL East this season; save for the Orioles, he’s pitched against every team at least once, pitching to a 2.12 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings.
Ryan faced the Blue Jays back on June 8th, allowing four hits, three runs (two earned), three walks, and six strikeouts over five innings. Ernie Clement, Alejandro Kirk, George Springer, and then-Blue Jay Alan Roden had the four hits against Ryan. The Twins bullpen allowed only one hit between Ryan’s exit and the remainder of the game, and Minnesota would win the game 6-3.
With their experience in the AL Central, Myles Straw and Andrés Giménez have logged 40 at-bats combined against Ryan in their careers, posting five hits each. Elsewhere, George Springer has hit a pair of doubles against Ryan in his career, and Ty France hit a home run against him in June of 2022.
The Blue Jays hand the ball to Max Scherzer, who will be facing several of Minnesota’s hitters for the first time. Scherzer has pitched to a 3.60 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and through 11 starts and 60 innings. He’s owned a 1.80 ERA through four August starts, but what’s been just as encouraging has been the velocity that he’s held in the later innings. Even at age 41, Scherzer is has consistently been hitting 94-95 mph on his heater at the conclusion of his outings, which have been really good recently.
Most recently, Scherzer earned his fourth win of the season by allowing just one run and four hits over six innings last Tuesday in Pittsburgh. It was his fifth consecutive quality start, and his sixth in his last seven starts.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has returned to Toronto’s starting lineup, however he’ll be the DH tonight in order to keep him off of his feet as much as possible. Because of that, George Springer will start in the field for the first time since July 24th in Detroit, and Ty France will continue policing first base. Addison Barger is absent from the starting lineup, meaning Nathan Lukes is bumped up to the two spot in the batting order with a righty on the mound.
With only Yariel Rodríguez and Paxton Schultz being used yesterday, the Blue Jays should have several of their bullpen arms available. This includes Louis Varland, who was dealt from the Twins to the Blue Jays just under a month ago. Save for Tyler Heineman’s relief appearance on August 16th against the Rangers, the Blue Jays bullpen has given up at least one earned run in seven of Toronto’s last nine games.
Location: Rogers Centre – Toronto, Ontario
First Pitch: 7:07 PM EST
Watch/Listen: Sportsnet / Sportsnet 590 The Fan
Starting Pitchers
Toronto Blue Jays – Max Scherzer: 4-2 record, 3.60 ERA, 60 IP, 56 SO, 15 BB
Minnesota Twins – Joe Ryan: 12-6 record, 2.96 ERA, 143 IP, 159 SO, 28 BB
Lineups:
Blue Jays:
- George Springer – LF
- Nathan Lukes – RF
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – DH
- Bo Bichette – SS
- Daulton Varsho – CF
- Alejandro Kirk – C
- Ernie Clement – 3B
- Ty France – 1B
- Andrés Giménez – 2B
Twins:
- Byron Buxton – CF
- Trevor Larnach – DH
- Brooks Lee – SS
- Matt Wallner – RF
- Ryan Jeffers – C
- Kody Clemens – 2B
- Royce Lewis – 3B
- Edouard Julien – 1B
- James Outman – LF