Rangers at Blue Jays
The future continues to look brighter for the Toronto Blue Jays, who will try to ride their young stars to another win when they continue a three-game series with the visiting Texas Rangers on Tuesday. Rookies Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. combined to go 8-for-16 at the top of the lineup to lead the Blue Jays to a 19-4 win in Monday's series opener.
Brandon Drury added five RBIs - four on a fourth-inning grand slam - while both Justin Smoak and Randal Grichuk were 3-for-5 with four RBIs as Toronto won for the 10th time in its last 15 games. Bichette's four hits gave him 10 multi-hit efforts in 15 games since he was called up near the end of last month. He'll get his first look at veteran Lance Lynn as the right-hander takes the mound Tuesday for the Rangers, who have lost five of six to sink back to .500 (59-59). Toronto turns to Thomas Pannone as it looks to win a home series for the first time since taking three of four versus Kansas City from June 28-July 1
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), Sportsnet (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Lance Lynn (14-7, 3.60 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH Thomas Pannone (2-5, 6.83)
Lynn has allowed one earned run and four hits over seven innings in each of his past two starts, suffering a hard-luck loss at Cleveland his last time out. The 32-year-old had a 5.75 ERA after giving up five runs in six innings against the Blue Jays on May 4, but he has 14 quality starts in 17 turns since then. He has a 6.11 ERA in six career games (five starts) against Toronto.
Pannone is 0-2 with an 8.20 ERA in four starts since joining the rotation last month. He also made a spot start at Texas on May 4 and was knocked around for seven runs over 2 1/3 innings. The Rhode Island native is 5-2 with a 4.58 ERA in his career at home.
WALK-OFFS
1. Former Blue Jays SS Freddy Galvis was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.
2. Smoak had gone 11 straight games without a home run before Monday, a span in which he was 4-for-38.
3. Texas has lost 16 of its last 22 road games.