Slumping Twins visit Toronto with Blue Jays flying high
After taking three of four from Houston, the Blue Jays have won nine of their last eleven.
June 9, 2023 at 2:08AM
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Friday, 6:07 p.m.: RHP Sonny Gray (4-1, 2.15 ERA) vs. LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-2, 4.40)
Saturday, 2:07 p.m.: RHP Joe Ryan (7-3, 2.76 ERA) vs. TBA
Sunday, 12:37 p.m.: RHP Louie Varland (3-2, 4.40 ERA) vs. RHP Kevin Gausman (5-3, 2.63)
Twins update: They are below .500 (31-32) for the first time this season after a 4-2 loss — their season-high fifth consecutive loss — at Tampa Bay on Thursday. ... The Twins and Blue Jays played a three-game series May 26-28 at Target Field, with the Blue Jays winning two of three. The Twins victory was 9-7, while the Blue Jays won 3-1 and 3-0. ... The Twins are 6-10 against AL East teams and are 13-18 on the road this season. ... DH Byron Buxton (ribs) and OF Joey Gallo (hamstring) are out.
Blue Jays update: They (36-28) conclude a seven-game homestand against the Twins after taking three of four from Houston. ... The Blue Jays defeated Houston on Thursday 3-2 for their ninth victory in the past 11 games. After Houston won the series opener on Monday 11-4, the Blue Jays won 5-1 and 3-2. ... The Blue Jays are one of two MLB teams (Arizona is the other) who have scored at least one run in every game this season. ... SS Bo Bichette leads the AL with a .326 batting average and leads the majors in hits (89). ... RHP Alek Manoah, who lasted just ⅓ of an inning on Monday, has been sent to the Blue Jays' Florida complex. Manoah was 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA.
Souhan: A modest proposal to improve baseball, because the Golden At-Bat rule doesn’t go far enough
We start with a warning to bad pitchers and bad owners: Beware the trap door. And yes, we are considering moats around infielders.
