Mariners at Blue Jays
Right-hander Aaron Sanchez will come off the disabled list for the second time this season for the Toronto Blue Jays as they aim for a four-game sweep of the visiting Seattle Mariners on Sunday. Sanchez initially was sidelined in April with a finger issue and was able to get through just one inning in his return to the mound April 30 before the injury resurfaced.
The 24-year-old, who pitched in an extended spring training game in Florida on Tuesday, hopes to help the Blue Jays continue their longest winning streak of the year, which reached four games with Saturday's 7-2 triumph. Marcus Stroman threw six solid innings and Jose Bautista homered for the third time in four games in the win, which was also Toronto's sixth victory in its last seven games. The Mariners played their third straight contest without star second baseman Robinson Cano (quadriceps) and have fallen to 7-15 on the road. Their ravaged pitching staff will hope for some length out of lefty Ariel Miranda after fill-in starter Ryan Weber could only get through 3 2/3 frames in Saturday's loss due to shoulder tightness.
TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Seattle), Sportsnet One (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Ariel Miranda (3-2, 5.20 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Aaron Sanchez (0-1, 4.05)
Miranda has been inconsistent from start to start and he was not sharp his last time out at Philadelphia, getting tagged for eight runs in 3 1/3 innings. That outing left the Cuba native with an 8.10 ERA through four road starts, during which he has given up 20 hits - seven home runs - and eight walks in 16 2/3 innings. Miranda, 28, has never faced the Blue Jays.
Sanchez gave up five runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings in his last full start April 14 against Baltimore, serving up three home runs. He is 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA in five career games (two starts) against the Mariners, which includes a solid six-inning outing at Seattle late last season. Kyle Seager is 2-for-6 with a home run and Jean Segura has two hits in four at-bats versus Sanchez, who is 20-7 as a starter in his career.
WALK-OFFS
1. Seattle has four starting pitchers on the disabled list and announced Saturday that RHP Hisashi Iwakuma is expected to miss four to six weeks with shoulder inflammation.
2. Blue Jays CF Kevin Pillar is 6-for-10 with two walks and five runs scored over his last three games.
3. Segura hit safely in 12 straight games and has multiple hits in eight of those contests.