GDB 156.0: Blue Jays send Yusei Kikuchi to the mound in rubber match against Rays

After a heartbreaking ninth-inning loss on Saturday, the Blue Jays will play the rubber match of their series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon.

If they win, the Blue Jays will pick up their first series victory at The Trop since April of 2021. It would also give them a winning record on this six-game trip through New York and Tampa, their final road trip of the regular season.

Yusei Kikuchi will start for the Blue Jays. The lefty has a career-best 3.74 ERA on the season and he’s only three innings shy of matching his career-high in innings pitched in a single season in the big leagues. Kikuchi has faced the Rays twice this season. He held them to one run in six innings in Toronto in April but allowed five runs in five innings in Tampa in May.

Going for the Rays will be rookie Taj Bradley, who has a 5.36 ERA across his first 20 starts in the Majors. Bradley has made one appearance against the Blue Jays in his career. Back in May, they scored four runs off of him in four innings before running away with a 20-1 victory.

First pitch: 1:10 p.m EST — Sportsnet, Sportsnet 650.

Toronto Blue Jays: 86-69, 10.0 GB, +1.0 WCGB, +72 DIFF.

Tampa Bay Rays: 95-61, 1.5 GB, +9.5 WCGB, +193 DIFF.

Moneyline: TOR -105, TBR -111.

*Odds at the time of publishing. Odds are subject to change.

TOR: LHP — Yusei Kikuchi: 10-6, 3.74 ERA, 30 GS, 158 2/3 IP, 170 SO, 1.242 WHIP.

TBR: RHP — Taj Bradley: 5-7, 5.36 ERA, 20 GS, 95 2/3 IP, 124 SO, 1.380 WHIP.

TOR: George Springer RF, Bo Bichette SS, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. DH, Cavan Biggio 1B, Matt Chapman 3B, Alejandro Kirk C, Daulton Varsho LF, Whit Merrifield 2B, Kevin Kiermaier CF.

TBR: Yandy Diaz 1B, Harold Ramirez LF, Curtis Mead 3B, Isaac Parades 2B, Junior Caminero DH, Josh Lowe RF, Manuel Margot CF, Rene Pinto C, Taylor Walls SS.