Apr 7, 2023 11:28 a.m
The Toronto Blue Jays snapped a three-game winning streak against Anaheim in the last three games of a 10-game road swing in the season opener.
Friday will mark the Los Angeles Angels’ opener, who used Shohei Ohtani as a starter to win 4-3 in Seattle on Wednesday, and therefore won’t be making an appearance in this series.
All eyes are on the Japanese superstar this year with Otani qualifying for free agency after the season.
[brightcove videoID=6324146319112 playerID=JCdte3tMv height=360 width=640]
The Blue Jays have already destroyed the St. Louis Cardinals’ home opener on Opening Day, and they’ll be looking to do the same for the Angels on Friday.
Here is an overview of the series.
Potential pitchers
Friday, 9:38 PM ET / 6:38 PM PT: Toronto RHB Chris Bassett (0-1, 24.30 ERA) vs. LHP Patrick Sandoval (1-0, 1.80 ERA), Sportsnet/SN NOW
Saturday, 9:07 PM EST / 6:07 PM PT: Toronto RHB Jose Berrios (0-1, 12.71 ERA) vs. LHP Tyler Anderson (1-0, 0.00 ERA), Sportsnet ONE/SN NOW
Sunday, 4:07 PM ET / 1:07 PM PT: Toronto LHP Yusei Kikuchi (1-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. LHP Reid Detmers (0-0, 3.86 ERA), Sportsnet/SN NOW
The bond between father and son
The Angels announced that Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, father of starting quarterback Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. , the honorary first pitcher, will be ejected prior to Friday’s game.
Guerrero was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. He had a . 318 career average and hit 449 home runs in 16 seasons with the Montreal Expos, Angels, Texas Rangers, and Baltimore Orioles.
Blue Jays News
After a rocky start, the Blue Jays (4-3) have played better baseball the past three days to calm the nerves of their fans.
Alec Manoah Wednesday (seven innings, one strikeout, zero innings) bounced back to win after a rocky start in the season opener, and Kevin Gusman (six innings, four strikeouts, zero innings) delivered his second strong showing in most games Thursday to win 6- 3 in the series finale.
[brightcove videoID=6324100950112 playerID=JCdte3tMv height=360 width=640]
Offensively, Matt Chapman (.481/.517/.704) got off to a good start and Guerrero Jr. scored a touchdown. The first baseman also has two of the three hitters in a row.
Newcomer Daulton Varsho (.357/.406/.571) also provides solid action at home plate and in the outfield.
There was a bump on Thursday as Trevor Richards and Tim Maesa trailed, 6-0 in the eighth inning, but Yemi Garcia and Adam Simper rounded things up for the win.
Now the Blue Jays will be looking for much improved starts from Bassett and the Berrios after both of them lit up in the preseason.
The last of the angels
The Angels (4-2) got off to a good start winning the two road split series against the Oakland A’s and Mariners.
Otani, who scored 111 during the MLB season, scored eight in six runs to claim the victory on Wednesday and had one RBI in a 4-3 decision.
The 2021 AL MVP also hit on base for 29there racing game.
However, Ohtani was called for a timer violation on the mound and at home plate, something to watch for going forward.
Mike Trott, another Angels star, is looking good at the plate, slashing . 368/. 571/. 632 with a home run and three RBIs.
The Angels haven’t had a winning season since 2015 and haven’t made the playoffs since 2014.
Jays front left
The Blue Jays have three left-handed players in this series – tied 1-1 against left-handed players this season.
The sample size is small, but the two Jays are 19 years oldthere in OPS (. 704) against lefties this season.
One of the Angels’ best signings, Anderson crossed town on a three-year, $39 million deal after spending last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he was 15-5 with an ERA of 2.57.
Familiar faces
Former Blue Jays player Brandon Drury has signed a two-year, $17 million contract with the Angels in the offseason. The Blue Jays acquired Drury in a trade from New York Yankees starter JA Happ in July 2018, but he struggled for much of his time with Toronto and was eventually fired. He is now a member of eight MLB organizations.
Also among the Angels are Blue Jays shortstop Aaron Loeb and right reliever Ryan Tepera, both members of the 2015-16 Toronto squad. Loup suffered a loss in the Angels’ season opener and was unable to maintain his lead after a strong start from Ohtani.
Angels player Gio Orchila played 19 games with the Blue Jays in 2018.
Season series 2022
The 2022 season series between the two teams was odd, as the Blue Jays swept a four-game series in Anaheim in May, while the Angels won all three in Toronto in August.
the next
After an off day, the Blue Jays play their home opener at the renovated Rogers Center on Tuesday night against the Detroit Tigers, starting a three-game series.
