Blue Jays at Braves
Josh Donaldson won a MVP award with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015, and he hurt his former team while putting the Atlanta Braves in position to sweep a two-game home series Tuesday. Donaldson belted his 34th homer of the season in the first inning and scored three times with two RBIs in Monday’s 6-3 victory, lifting Atlanta to its 13th victory in its last 15 games and extending the Braves lead over Washington in the National League East to 6 1/2 games.
Donaldson has helped fuel Atlanta’s playoff surge with a red-hot summer following a slow start, hitting .278 with 26 homers and 54 RBIs in 73 games since June 11, and the Braves are 67-34 since he was moved to the cleanup spot in the lineup May 10. Atlanta enters Tuesday riding a nine-game winning streak at home, and in that stretch Braves pitchers have surrendered just 27 runs while striking out 81 and converting five saves. One day after being no-hit, the Blue Jays managed just five hits in the series opener, two on homers by Randal Grichuk - his 24th of the season moving him within one of his career high set last season - and pinch-hitter Rowdy Tellez. Rookie second baseman Cavan Biggio saw his eight-game streak of drawing a walk end as Toronto fell for the 11th time in 14 games.
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), TVA Sports (Toronto), FS Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Wilmer Font (3-3, 4.22 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (4-5, 5.59)
Font, who is pitching with his third major-league team this season, will draw his 10th opening assignment in 14 appearances since joining the Blue Jays. The 29-year-old has not pitched more than 2 1/3 innings in any contests, last working the opening two innings Sunday against Houston (one hit allowed, one walk), and gave up one hit in two innings of Toronto’s 3-1 victory over Atlanta on Aug. 27. Right-hander Ryan Tepera, who could have been in line to start, struck out the side and walked one in a scoreless seventh Monday in his first major-league action since May 20.
Foltynewicz has allowed three earned runs or fewer in four of five starts since being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett, pitching to a 3.90 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings in that span. The 27-year-old faced the Blue Jays on Wednesday in Toronto, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts in a no-decision. Foltynewicz, who held the Mets to one run on two hits with seven strikeouts on Aug. 23, has given up five earned runs with 15 strikeouts and seven walks across 16 1/3 innings in his past three outings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Braves RHP Shane Greene pitched a scoreless eighth Monday, giving him 11 consecutive scoreless appearances (one inning each) with four hits, one walk and 11 strikeouts since Aug. 14.
2. Toronto rookie 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did not play Monday, but is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday.
3. At 85-54, Atlanta is 31 games over .500 for the first time since Sept. 3, 2013.