Nationals at Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays beat two of the best pitchers in the National League on Friday and Saturday and will try to pull off the three-game sweep when they host the Washington Nationals in the interleague series finale on Sunday. The Blue Jays got the better of Gio Gonzalez and Max Scherzer in the first two games of the series thanks to some strong pitching of their own and a few timely hits.
Toronto second baseman Devon Travis entered the series hitting .205 with two home runs but doubled that total with a blast in each of the first two games while going a combined 4-for-6 to raise his batting average to .229. Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada outdueled reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer on Saturday after Aaron Sanchez struck out eight in six solid frames on Friday. The Nationals are losers of four of their last five games and were shut out in three of those four, including a 2-0 setback on Saturday. Washington will try to avoid a sweep behind veteran Tanner Roark while Toronto counters with right-hander Sam Gaviglio.
TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), TVA, Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Tanner Roark (3-7, 3.63 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Sam Gaviglio (2-2, 3.66)
Roark is having a tough time finding run support and suffered a loss at the New York Yankees on Tuesday despite allowing three runs in six solid innings. Washington scored three or fewer runs in eight of the Illinois native's last 10 starts. Roark is seeing Toronto for the first time and is 8-8 with a 3.03 ERA in 21 career interleague games - 18 starts.
Gaviglio struggled through his worst outing of the season at Tampa Bay on Monday, when he allowed five runs on seven hits and a pair of walks over 3 1/3 innings. The 28-year-old tossed seven scoreless innings against the New York Yankees in his previous turn. Gaviglio is seeing Washington for the first time this year and is 1-2 with a 7.04 ERA in three road starts in 2018.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals RF Bryce Harper is 1-for-15 with six strikeouts over his last five games.
2. Toronto LF Steve Pearce (oblique) went 1-for-3 with a walk in his first rehab game for Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.
3. Washington 2B Daniel Murphy is 1-for-15 in four games since returning from a knee injury.