GDB 90.0: Blue Jays seek series win over Mariners

Photo credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
By Zach Laing
Jul 7, 2024, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 7, 2024, 20:04 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays are on the hunt for a series victory over the Seattle Mariners Sunday, who won’t have star outfielder Julio Rodriguez in the starting lineup.
Rodriguez left Saturday’s game in the first inning with a quad injury, one that has brought back a clean MRI, the club said Sunday. Mariners skipper Scott Servais said Sunday that Rodriguez “is going to be fine,” and that he would be a pinch-hit option, even though they’d rather have him out of the lineup entirely.
Jose Berrios and the Blue Jays will look to capitalize on Rodriguez being out of the lineup similarly to how they did Saturday. Toronto put up five runs on the Mariners, managing to hold off a comeback that saw Mitch Haniger hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth, and Luke Raley a solo shot an inning later.
Bend, but don’t break.
Justin Turner will return to the Jays lineup batting cleanup, having been away from the team due to the berth of he and his wife’s first child. The red-hot George Springer will leadoff again, while Spencer Horwitz and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. occupy the 2 and 3 spots.
First pitch: 4:10 p.m. EST.
TV & Radio: Sportsnet, SN590.
Starting pitchers:
| Name | Team | GS | W | L | IP | ERA | xERA | ERA- | FIP | WHIP | K/9 | BB/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
José Berríos | TOR | 18 | 8 | 6 | 109.0 | 3.63 | 4.74 | 92 | 5.07 | 1.12 | 6.36 | 2.31 |
George Kirby | SEA | 18 | 7 | 6 | 105.2 | 3.32 | 3.27 | 86 | 2.98 | 0.98 | 8.60 | 0.85 |
Lineups:
BLUE JAYS:
- G Springer (R) RF
- S Horwitz (L) 1B
- V Guerrero Jr. (R) 3B
- J Turner (R) DH
- B Bichette (R) SS
- D Varsho (L) LF
- A Kirk (R) C
- L Jiménez (R) 2B
- K Kiermaier (L) CF
MARINERS:
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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.
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