Athletics at Blue Jays
The Oakland Athletics look to continue their success against American League East opponents when they visit the slumping Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon in the third of a four-game set. The Athletics have won 10 of 14 contests against the East, including the first two of the series after recording a 3-1 victory Friday night as rookie center fielder Dustin Fowler belted his first major league home run.
Oakland has won four of its last five games after using six pitchers to limit Toronto to six hits in Friday’s triumph and improve to 5-3 on a 10-game road trip that included stops in New York to play the Yankees and Boston - the teams with the best two records in baseball. Sean Manaea will try to clinch a series victory for the Athletics when he takes the mound against Sam Gaviglio, who makes his first start for the Blue Jays. Toronto (22-23) has dropped under .500 after losing five of the last six contests and allowing seven runs per game in the setbacks. The Blue Jays struck out 15 times in Friday’s loss, including three by Kevin Pillar (.301 batting average, major league-best 18 doubles) after the center fielder registered a pair of hits in each of the previous two contests.
TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1, Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Sean Manaea (5-4, 2.35 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Sam Gaviglio (1-0, 2.08)
Manaea allowed four runs (three earned) and eight hits over six innings to defeat Boston on Monday after losing his previous two starts. The 26-year-old yielded one or fewer runs, including a no-hitter April 21 against Boston, in five of his first six starts of the season and opponents are batting just .186 against him. Josh Donaldson is 2-for-7 with a double and a homer versus Manaea, who is 1-0 with a 3.50 ERA in three career appearances (two starts) against Toronto.
Gaviglio gets his first start of the year after making a pair of relief appearances last week against Boston, gaining a victory in his Blue Jays debut. The 27-year-old Oregon State product gave up one hit in three scoreless frames to earn the win May 11 against the Red Sox and surrendered one run over 1 1/3 innings two days later. Khris Davis owns a home run against Gaviglio, who went 4-5 with a 4.36 ERA in 16 games (13 starts) with Kansas City and Seattle in 2017.
WALK-OFFS
1. Toronto OF Teoscar Hernandez, who is 7-for-20 over his last five games, has missed the last two contests with back soreness.
2. The Athletics recalled RHPs Emilio Pagan and Josh Lucas, placed RHP Andrew Triggs on the 10-day disabled list and sent RHP Ryan Dull to Triple-A Nashville on Friday.
3. The Blue Jays placed LHP Jaime Garcia (shoulder) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled RHP Deck McGuire.