GDB 65.0: Blue Jays look to win the series with Bowden Francis getting an opportunity to start

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In what will likely be the last-ever game at the Oakland Coliseum, the Blue Jays head into the afternoon affair on the high of a lights-out performance from Kevin Gausman and a stellar day at the plate where the bats were able to string together some hits and run the score up to seven on the day.

While the bats appeared stuck at customs for the first game, the club also put behind a rather painstaking consecutive streak that was snapped yesterday thanks to newcomer Spencer Horwitz and catcher Danny Jansen. With Jansen’s sac fly plating Horwitz in the first inning, the Jays’ streak of remaining scoreless within the inning was stopped at 29 games – much to the delight of the club’s fanbase.

With one game left in Oakland, the Blue Jays will be sending Bowden Francis to the mound, with the right-hander confirmed to get the nod with the spot remaining ‘to be determined’ until yesterday’s game was finished. The spot was Alek Manoah’s but he will be on the sidelines for the rest of the season with the pitcher slated to undergo UCL surgery on June 17th.

Finish what you start 😤 pic.twitter.com/EMpyc880PI

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 8, 2024

Francis missed considerable time on the IL following his April 24th outing with right forearm tendonitis and is looking to get back on track after a strong Spring Training showcase that earned him a spot in the rotation for Opening Day.

Since his return from the IL, he has made one appearance out of the bullpen in a long-man role and he was tagged for five hits and four earned runs with two home runs mixed in against Baltimore earlier this week. As a starter, Francis has found limited success in the small sample size, posting a 12.96 ERA through two starts before he was moved to the bullpen in mid-April, working in tandem with Yariel Rodriguez. The club will also have a pretty healthy bullpen ready to follow Francis considering Gausman’s efforts yesterday, providing extra support should the Jays right-hander struggle out of the gate.

The Jays bats exercised patience at the plate yesterday, producing eight walks on the day while also adding six extra-base hits, two of which came off the bat of Bo Bichette who is trending in the right direction as of late after a slow start to the season.

For Oakland, the A’s will be sending Mitch Spence to the mound, a right-hander who has been thrust into the rotation due to the numerous injuries to their starting core.

The 26-year-old owns a 3.86 ERA through 15 appearances through his rookie campaign, with his last four outings coming via the starter role versus the bullpen. Through 19 innings in his new role, Spence owns a 3.32 ERA with seven earned runs allowed while striking out 15 batters, utilizing a heavy dose of cutters and sliders while mixing in a sinker and a changeup on occasion as well.

After this game, the Blue Jays will be heading out to the NL Central to face the Milwaukee Brewers for a three-game series.

First Pitch: 4:07 pm EST

TV & Radio: Sportsnet, SN590

Starting Pitchers:

Lineups

1. Abraham Toro (S) 3B
2. JJ Bleday (L) CF
3. Brent Rooker (R) DH
4. Miguel Andujar (R) LF
5. Daz Cameron (R) RF
6. Shea Langeliers (R) C
7. Tyler Soderstrom (L) 1B
8. Aledmyz Díaz (R) 2B
9. Max Schuemann (R) SS

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