Blue Jays at Athletics
The Toronto Blue Jays are steamrolling through a seven-game road trip and hope to finish it on a high note when they end a three-game series at the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. The Blue Jays have won the first two games of the series by a combined 15-2 margin while improving to 5-1 on the trip.
First baseman Rowdy Tellez slugged a three-run homer among three hits to pace a 15-hit attack in Saturday's 10-1 win for Toronto, which has belted seven home runs during its three-game winning streak. The one negative Saturday was the loss of starter Matt Shoemaker, who lasted just three innings before leaving with a knee injury. Right-hander Aaron Sanchez will try to give the Blue Jays a little more length when he starts the series finale opposite lefty Brett Anderson. The Athletics have been held to two runs or fewer in four straight games and are 1-4 in their last five contests.
TV: 4:07 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One (Toronto), OMNI (Toronto), NBCS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Aaron Sanchez (2-1, 2.86 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Brett Anderson (3-0, 2.63)
Sanchez will be making his fourth straight road start and looking to bounce back from an uneven outing at Minnesota on Tuesday. He held the Twins to just four hits in six innings but gave up a season-high four earned runs while walking four and allowing his first two home runs of the year. Oakland slugger Khris Davis is 3-for-5 with a home run against the 26-year-old Sanchez, who has been knocked around for 10 runs in 10 1/3 innings through his first two career starts versus the Athletics.
Anderson has three quality starts among his first four outings, including six innings with two earned runs allowed at Texas last Sunday. The 31-year-old is 16-12 with a 3.44 ERA in his career in Oakland. Justin Smoak is 4-for-12 with two doubles and two walks against Anderson.
WALK-OFFS
1. Smoak also homered Saturday and is 10-for-26 during an eight-game hitting streak.
2. Oakland's starting pitchers have a 7.67 ERA over the last 13 games.
3. Toronto INF Eric Sogard is 9-for-22 with five RBIs in his first five games with the team.