Athletics at Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays can return to the .500 mark for the first time since they were 2-2 on March 31 as they go for a three-game sweep of the visiting Oakland Athletics on Sunday. Brandon Drury followed his walk-off, two-run homer in the series opener with a 3-for-3 performance in Saturday’s 7-1 victory as the Blue Jays improved to 8-3 in their last 11 contests - including a 5-0 mark against Oakland.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is Major League Baseball's top prospect, recorded a single and a walk for Toronto on Saturday after producing a double in his debut less than 24 hours earlier while Eric Sogard hit safely in his ninth straight game since being recalled from the minors, improving his batting average to .400. Rookie Trent Thornton makes his sixth try at posting his first win in the big leagues when he takes the mound for the Blue Jays in the series finale while the stumbling Athletics counter with Chris Bassitt. Oakland has dropped seven of its last 11 overall games and is just 4-7 on the road in the early going after managing just four hits and going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in Saturday’s setback, leaving eight men on base (13 in the series). The major's home run leader last year, Khris Davis hopes to snap out of a slump during which he has registered only three hits in 32 at-bats over nine games.
TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), Sportsnet One, OMNI (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Chris Bassitt (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Trent Thornton (0-3, 5.79)
Bassitt earned the victory in his season debut on Monday, limiting Texas to two hits and four walks while registering seven strikeouts over five scoreless innings. The 30-year-old native of Ohio, who was 2-3 with a 3.02 ERA in 11 appearances (seven starts) with Oakland in 2018, gave up four earned runs over 11 frames in the minors this year. Bassitt allowed six runs and nine hits over five innings in his lone career appearance against Toronto.
Thornton lost his third straight start on Tuesday, permitting four runs and six hits with five strikeouts against San Francisco. The 25-year-old from North Carolina gave up two runs over 10 2/3 frames in his first two appearances this year but has surrendered 13 runs over 12 2/3 innings in last three turns. Thornton, a fifth round draft pick of Houston in 2015, has recorded 26 strikeouts and seven walks in 23 1/3 overall frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics CF Ramon Laureano notched two hits on Saturday and is 6-for-14 with three doubles over his last four contests.
2. Toronto SS Freddy Galvis (hamstring), who is batting a team-best .311, has missed four straight games and is considered day-to-day.
3. Oakland INF Jurickson Profar is 0-for-18 in five games against the Blue Jays this season.