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June 28 Gameday: Shane Bieber makes his second start of season as Blue Jays look to break five-game losing streak
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Photo credit: © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
Jun 28, 2026, 11:30 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays have lost five games in a row and are starting to get in desperate need of securing a win. 
After getting back to the .500 mark following a 4-2 win over the Houston Astros on June 22, the Blue Jays have dropped their next five contests to bring their record to 39-44, and now find themselves two games back of the Athletics for the American League’s final Wild Card spot. 
The story over this losing streak has been much of the same, allowing the opposing team to score in the first inning and subsequently build on that lead over the middle frames before the Blue Jays’ offence springs to life with a mad dash comeback attempt. 
As the Blue Jays try to snap this skid, they will hand the ball to right-hander Shane Bieber for his second start of the 2026 season. After missing much of the first half of the season due to elbow inflammation, Bieber returned to the Blue Jays’ rotation on June 23, and the results were mixed. 
Bieber turned in a pitching line of 3.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, with three of the four runs coming in the fourth inning after he allowed back-to-back-to-back home runs. Bieber reached the 75-pitch mark and averaged 91.7 MPH with his fastball, so the hope is Bieber, so the hope is that he can round into the form he flashed after being acquired last season from the Cleveland Guardians. 
The Texas Rangers (41-42) will counter with Kumar Rocker as they go for the four-game sweep. Through 15 games (13 starts), Rocker is 2-6 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.38 WHIP, but has really struggled through his four June appearances. 
Over his four appearances in June, Rocker is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA and 1.56 WHIP, all while allowing opposing teams to hit .307. The former third overall selection during the 2022 MLB Draft has struck out 65 batters over his 74 frames this season, and will attack the Blue Jays’ offence with a heavy sinker-slider approach. 
After being held out of the Blue Jays’ starting lineup for all three games of the Astros series, second baseman Ernie Clement has put together a strong first three games against the Rangers. Clement is 7-for-12 and has continued to show why he’s earned the AL’s starting second baseman nod at the upcoming All-Star game. 
For the season, Clement is batting .303 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs and has been one of the players in 2026 that has consistently produced in the Blue Jays’ lineup. After setting a postseason record with 30 hits during the Blue Jays’ playoff run this season, Clement is proving that that feat was no fluke during his opening 80 games of the 2026 regular season. 
Location: Rogers Centre – Toronto, Canada
First Pitch: 1:37 PM EST
Watch/Listen: Sportsnet, SN590

Starting Pitchers

Toronto Blue Jays – Shane Bieber: 0-0, 9.82 ERA, 3.2 IP, 2 SO, 0 BB
Texas Rangers – Kumar Rocker: 2-6 record, 4.14 ERA, 74 IP, 65 SO, 30 BB

Lineups:

Blue Jays:
  1. George Springer – DH
  2. Nathan Lukes – RF
  3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
  4. Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
  5. Daulton Varsho – CF
  6. Ernie Clement – 2B
  7. Alejandro Kirk – C
  8. Yohendrick Piñango – LF
  9. Andrés Giménez – SS
Rangers:
  1. Joc Pederson – DH
  2. Josh Jung – 3B
  3. Corey Seager – SS
  4. Brandon Nimmo – RF
  5. Jake Burger – 1B
  6. Ezequiel Duran – 2B
  7. Evan Carter – CF
  8. Elias Díaz – C
  9. Alejandro Osuna – LF

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