<p class="p1">The Blue Jays took infield practice and shagged fly balls in Bo Bichette City Connect jerseys ahead of Friday&#8217;s Game 2.</p>
<p class="p1">As Andrés Gimenez bounced from second to short in his combo jersey/sweater giveaway, the Jays prepared for another matchup with the Baltimore Orioles (and the 160 contests that follow). Here’s everything you need to know from the March 28 pregame and batting practice, from lineup tweaks to general team vibes, before Kevin Gausman and Charlie Morton meet on the mound:</p>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="330" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="“web-content-promocard&quot;"></div>
<h3 class="p1"><b>The Post-Opening Day Vibe: ‘Back To Normal’</b></h3>
<p class="p1">The pomp, circumstance, pregame celebrations, and 12-2 drubbings are behind them. Now, the Blue Jays enter the slog of 162.</p>
<p class="p1">“I was exhausted last night,” Manager John Schneider said. “You kind of don’t really feel it till you’re done. And the guys feel that too. It’s not like a come down, really, it’s almost like, ‘alright, back to normal.’”</p>
<p class="p1">For Chris Bassitt, the first few games after Opening Day still have a certain buzz and urgency. The reality of the 162-game marathon doesn’t set in until a week or so into the season.</p>
<p class="p1">“I think day two is still pretty exciting,” Bassitt said. “I think day three, day four, day five is kind of like the ‘crap, like I just played back to back nine inning games. Now another nine inning game.&#8217;”</p>
<p class="p1">That early excitement lingers for Bassitt because every team wants to start hot. “You don’t want to fall behind,” the righty said. Last year, Toronto started 4-6 in the first 10 and failed to make the playoffs. In 2022 and 2023, 6-4 starts helped Toronto earn postseason positions.</p>
<p class="p1">Right now, the Jays are 0-1.</p>
<h3 class="p1"><b>The Lineup Adjustments</b></h3>
<p class="p1">Toronto’s second lineup of the season looks a little different. With Anthony Santander sliding to DH, Nathan Lukes gets the start in center field and George Springer moves to right. Will Wagner will also start at third base, a position he made significant strides at in spring. Wagner didn&#8217;t play a single MLB game at 3B last season, but the 26-year-old showed enough arm strength in the preseason to earn time at the hot corner.</p>
<p class="p1">The lineup changes aren’t a reaction to Game 1 as much as using the early contests to get the entire roster involved, Schneider said.</p>
<p class="p1">“You want to use the first series, really, to kind of get everybody in,” Schneider said. “And get their feet underneath them.”</p>
<p class="p1">With C Tyler Heineman, INF/OF Davis Schneider and OF Myles Straw yet to see action, they’ll likely get a shot over the weekend.</p>
<h3 class="p1"><b>The Opponent</b></h3>
<p class="p1">The Blue Jays get a second crack at the 2025 Orioles after a mauling on Opening Day. This year’s Baltimore bashers look much the same as 2024, coming off a year in which they hit the second-most homers in baseball. The O’s hit six bombs on Thursday. Gausman, who hasn’t posted a HR/9 over 1.0 in the last four years, will need to mitigate the damage for Toronto on Friday.</p>
<p class="p1">The Jays are pretty familiar with their opposing pitching tonight. In nine career starts against the Blue Jays, Charlie Morton owns a 4.01 ERA and 2-2 record. He’s struck out 10.5 Blue Jays per nine innings, his fourth-highest mark against any team he’s faced at least eight times.</p>
<p class="p1">The last time Morton faced the Jays, though, came back in 2021. He allowed three runs in a 8-4 Toronto win. The 41-year-old has evolved in the last three years, upping curveball usage with his average fastball velocity dropping 1.5 MPH. Morton went to his breaking ball 42.4% of the time in 2024.</p>


<p class="p1">The Blue Jays took infield practice and shagged fly balls in Bo Bichette City Connect jerseys ahead of Friday's Game 2.</p>
<p class="p1">As Andrés Gimenez bounced from second to short in his combo jersey/sweater giveaway, the Jays prepared for another matchup with the Baltimore Orioles (and the 160 contests that follow). Here’s everything you need to know from the March 28 pregame and batting practice, from lineup tweaks to general team vibes, before Kevin Gausman and Charlie Morton meet on the mound:</p>

<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="330" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="“web-content-promocard&quot;"></div>
<h3 class="p1"><b>The Post-Opening Day Vibe: ‘Back To Normal’</b></h3>
<p class="p1">The pomp, circumstance, pregame celebrations, and 12-2 drubbings are behind them. Now, the Blue Jays enter the slog of 162.</p>
<p class="p1">“I was exhausted last night,” Manager John Schneider said. “You kind of don’t really feel it till you’re done. And the guys feel that too. It’s not like a come down, really, it’s almost like, ‘alright, back to normal.’”</p>
<p class="p1">For Chris Bassitt, the first few games after Opening Day still have a certain buzz and urgency. The reality of the 162-game marathon doesn’t set in until a week or so into the season.</p>
<p class="p1">“I think day two is still pretty exciting,” Bassitt said. “I think day three, day four, day five is kind of like the ‘crap, like I just played back to back nine inning games. Now another nine inning game.'”</p>
<p class="p1">That early excitement lingers for Bassitt because every team wants to start hot. “You don’t want to fall behind,” the righty said. Last year, Toronto started 4-6 in the first 10 and failed to make the playoffs. In 2022 and 2023, 6-4 starts helped Toronto earn postseason positions.</p>
<p class="p1">Right now, the Jays are 0-1.</p>

<h3 class="p1"><b>The Lineup Adjustments</b></h3>
<p class="p1">Toronto’s second lineup of the season looks a little different. With Anthony Santander sliding to DH, Nathan Lukes gets the start in center field and George Springer moves to right. Will Wagner will also start at third base, a position he made significant strides at in spring. Wagner didn't play a single MLB game at 3B last season, but the 26-year-old showed enough arm strength in the preseason to earn time at the hot corner.</p>
<p class="p1">The lineup changes aren’t a reaction to Game 1 as much as using the early contests to get the entire roster involved, Schneider said.</p>
<p class="p1">“You want to use the first series, really, to kind of get everybody in,” Schneider said. “And get their feet underneath them.”</p>
<p class="p1">With C Tyler Heineman, INF/OF Davis Schneider and OF Myles Straw yet to see action, they’ll likely get a shot over the weekend.</p>

<h3 class="p1"><b>The Opponent</b></h3>
<p class="p1">The Blue Jays get a second crack at the 2025 Orioles after a mauling on Opening Day. This year’s Baltimore bashers look much the same as 2024, coming off a year in which they hit the second-most homers in baseball. The O’s hit six bombs on Thursday. Gausman, who hasn’t posted a HR/9 over 1.0 in the last four years, will need to mitigate the damage for Toronto on Friday.</p>
<p class="p1">The Jays are pretty familiar with their opposing pitching tonight. In nine career starts against the Blue Jays, Charlie Morton owns a 4.01 ERA and 2-2 record. He’s struck out 10.5 Blue Jays per nine innings, his fourth-highest mark against any team he’s faced at least eight times.</p>
<p class="p1">The last time Morton faced the Jays, though, came back in 2021. He allowed three runs in a 8-4 Toronto win. The 41-year-old has evolved in the last three years, upping curveball usage with his average fastball velocity dropping 1.5 MPH. Morton went to his breaking ball 42.4% of the time in 2024.</p>

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