Braves at Blue Jays
Even after a difficult start to the season, the Toronto Blue Jays continue to surge as they enter the opener of a two-game interleague home series against the Atlanta Braves on Monday. Kevin Pillar’s walk-off homer against Seattle on Sunday gave the Blue Jays their fifth victory in a row and seventh in eight games, lifting their record to 15-10 since beginning the year with 11 losses in their first 13 contests.
Justin Smoak also went deep in Sunday’s 3-2 triumph, helping give the Blue Jays 21 homers in 13 games this month. Atlanta turns to the struggling Bartolo Colon in the series opener, and there is reason to wonder if time at long last has caught up to the major league’s oldest active player. Colon, who turns 44 on May 24, has posted a 9.55 ERA over his last four starts with 23 runs and five homers allowed in 21 2/3 innings. Atlanta could not complete a three-game sweep in Miami on Sunday, falling 3-1 after going 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranding 12 baserunners.
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Bartolo Colon (1-4, 7.22 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Mike Bolsinger (0-1, 3.18)
Colon gave up five first-inning runs and eight overall in 5 2/3 frames Tuesday at Houston, extending a stretch during which he has surrendered 36 hits and an OPS of 1.099. He pitched well in two of his first three starts for Atlanta, allowing just one hit in seven innings against San Diego in his only victory on April 16, but has yielded seven or more hits in each of his four turns since. Colon has posted a 10-6 record and 4.25 ERA in 26 career starts against Toronto.
Bolsinger makes his second start of the season after losing his debut against Cleveland on Tuesday, when he gave up two runs on three hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old, who is 8-17 with a 4.57 ERA in 38 games over four major-league seasons, posted a 1.46 ERA in four turns for Triple-A Buffalo before joining Toronto. Bolsinger is 1-1 in two career starts against Atlanta, winning as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last appearance in 2015.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pillar, who began Sunday leading the American League in hits, is batting .333 from the leadoff spot with 12 walks, five homers and 11 RBIs.
2. Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman begins the week hitting .344 after recording two hits on Sunday, while LF Matt Kemp saw his 13-game hitting streak come to an end.
3. Smoak is hitting .315 with four homers, 13 RBIs and 10 runs scored over his last 15 contests.