With a win today, the Blue Jays can go 3-3 on this West Coast of Death road trip, but standing in their way is former first round pick and Good Canadian Kid James Paxton.

And now, the lineups…

You can see why the Blue Jays made James Paxton a first round pick back in 2009. No, it’s not just because he’s Canadian, it’s because he’s damn good. It’s taken quite some time, but The Big Maple has finally become a top of the rotation starter for the Mariners. He’s been good for five years now, but not this good. Paxton owns a 1.69 ERA through eight starts and is allowing just one baserunner on average per inning. His strikeouts are at al all-time high, as he’s using a knuckle-curve with more frequency.

On the other side, Paxton will be opposed by former Mariner J.A. Happ, who’s making his third start since coming off the DL with elbow inflammation. Luke Maile will get the start behind the plate today as John Gibbons continues to not use Russell Martin in day games after night games. That’s somewhat curious as the Jays have a chance to break even on this West Coast trip and they have two off days next week.