GDB 20.0: Toronto Blue Jays hit the road to visit Padres, knuckeballer Matt Waldron

The Toronto Blue Jays are on the road again after a very successful homestand, during which they went 6-3 and won series’ against the Mariners, Rockies, and Yankees.

The pitching staff took a step forward with some strong starts, helping a bullpen that continues to find its way. It gave the chance for the bats to find their way, where the offence posted a 125 wRC+, the fifth-best mark in the league over that run of games.

Now, the above-.500 Jays will kick off a two-series, seven-game road trip through San Diego and Kansas City. Tonight, Yariel Rodriguez will look to build off his excellent MLB debut he had against the Rockies, where across three and two-third innings, he allowed six base runners through four hits and two walks, limiting their damage to just one earned run. He struck out six, displaying a limited pitch mix that still allowed him to keep the opposing bats honest.

Tonight will surely be a tougher task, as this Padres team features a much more potent lineup than that of the Rockies. The Padres, meanwhile, will respond with knuckleballer Matt Waldron, whose unique pitch has limited opposing hitters to a .190 batting average, throwing it on 36 percent of his pitches.

First pitch: 9:40 p.m. EST. TV & Radio: Sportsnet.

Weather: “Models are hinting at a quick shower, but no big deal.” – Kevin Roth, Rotogrinders.

Tune into the latest edition of Blue Jays Nation Radio as the crew talks about all the happenings in Toronto and beyond.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.