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August 25 Gameday: Max Scherzer starts against surging Royals

Photo credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

By Michael Coyle

Aug 25, 2026, 18:30 EDTUpdated: Aug 25, 2026, 18:42 EDT

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The Toronto Blue Jays are set to begin their remaining 30 games as they try and hunt down a postseason berth.

After a road trip through Tampa Bay and New York, which saw the Blue Jays go 3-3, they return home to host the Kansas City Royals, kicking off 10 straight series with clubs that currently have records of .500 or worse.

With a record of 64-68 through 132 games, the Blue Jays sit 2.0 games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the American League’s final Wild Card spot. Of the eight teams all in the mix for the last spot, the Blue Jays will see six of them down the stretch, leaving themselves in control of their own fate.

On the mound kick off their six-game homestand will be Max Scherzer. Through 11 starts this season, Scherzer is 1-6 with a 7.40 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. The right-hander has struck out 32 batters over his 45 innings pitched, but has allowed a concerning 12 home runs during that span.

While from the outset those numbers aren’t pretty, Scherzer has been better since the calendar flipped to August. Across his four outings in August, Scherzer is 0-2 with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Opponents have only been able to hit .218 off of the 41-year-old, and if it weren’t for two defensive miscues by Jesús Sánchez during his last start in Tampa Bay, Scherzer’s numbers could look even better.

One Royal who has hit Scherzer well in his career is Salvador Perez. Perez is a career .371 hitter off Scherzer across 35 at-bats, and has slugged four home runs and nine RBIs during that span. This season, Perez is batting .222 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs, but he has been heating up as of late, highlighted by a .360 average over his past seven games.

Countering Scherzer for the Royals (58-74) is right-hander Seth Lugo. Through 26 starts this season, Lugo is 5-7 with a 4.71 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Lugo has struck out 111 batters across his 145.1 innings pitched, and has been hit at a .278 clip by his opponents.

The Blue Jays’ lineup has to take advantage of the struggles Lugo has had as of late. Across his last seven starts, Lugo has posted a 5.09 ERA and has given up 39 hits across his 40.2 innings pitched during that span.

Here’s how the lineups look in the series opener at Rogers Centre:

Location: Rogers Centre – Toronto, Ontario

First Pitch: 7:07 p.m. ET

Watch/Listen: Sportsnet, SN590