July 18 Gameday: Blue Jays turn to Shane Bieber looking to snap three-game losing streak
Photo credit: © Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Jul 18, 2026, 12:27 EDTUpdated: Jul 18, 2026, 13:48 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays’ start to the unofficial second half got off to an ominous start on Friday.
The Blue Jays were beaten 12-4 by the Chicago White Sox, dropping them to 45-52 on the season and sit 3.5 games out of the American League’s final Wild Card spot.
Currently riding a three-game losing streak, the Blue Jays have 14 games remaining before the August 3 MLB trade deadline, and with every loss that mounts, the Blue Jays’ decision appears to be getting closer to selling.
On Saturday, the Blue Jays will turn to Shane Bieber as they look to find an answer for the upstart 2026 White Sox. The White Sox have taken all four games against the Blue Jays this season and have outscored the club 26-11 during that span.
After missing much of the first half with right elbow inflammation, Bieber has returned for four starts, and the results have been concerning. In his four outings, the 31-year-old is 0-1 with a 7.64 ERA and a 2.04 WHIP. The right-hander has allowed 26 hits over his 17.2 innings and has been able to strike out only 13 batters in that span.
After being tagged for seven earned runs over four innings against the Seattle Mariners on July 4, Bieber turned in a better outing in his most recent outing against the San Diego Padres. Bieber’s line was 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, and he will once again be challenged against a White Sox offence that has scored the fourth-most runs in MLB.
One player who has hit Bieber well throughout his big-league career is Andrew Benintendi. Benintendi is 11-for-21 with one home run, three RBIs, and carries a 1.402 OPS against the right-hander.
Countering Bieber on the mound for the White Sox will be right-hander Davis Martin. The 29-year-old has found his stride in his fourth MLB season, turning in a 9-4 record with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP over his 18 starts.
Over Martin’s 100.1 innings pitched, he has struck out 92 batters and allowed a .259 average. Back in April, Martin squared off with the Blue Jays and left the offence in knots. Martin picked up the win after turning in a pitching line of 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K in a White Sox 3-0 victory.
Here’s how the lineups look for Saturday’s contest at Rogers Centre:
Location: Toronto, Ontario – Rogers Centre
First Pitch: 3:07 PM ET
Watch/Listen: Sportsnet, SN590
Starting Pitchers
Toronto Blue Jays – Shane Bieber: 0-1 record, 7.64 ERA, 17.2 IP, 13 SO, 10 BB
Chicago White Sox – Davis Martin: 9-4 record, 3.41 ERA, 100.1 IP, 92 SO, 31 BB
Lineups:
Blue Jays:
- Ernie Clement – SS
- Nathan Lukes – RF
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
- George Springer – DH
- Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
- Daulton Varsho – CF
- Alejandro Kirk – C
- Andrés Giménez – SS
- Jonatan Clase – RF
White Sox:
- Sam Antonacci – LF
- Munetaka Murakami – 1B
- Miguel Vargas – 3B
- Colson Montgomery – SS
- Andrew Benintendi – DH
- Kyle Teel – C
- Braden Montgomery – RF
- Tristan Peters – CF
- Chase Meidroth – 2B
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