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September 1 Gameday: Blue Jays turn to Spencer Miles in series opener against Guardians
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Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Tristan Morgan
Sep 1, 2026, 18:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 1, 2026, 17:42 EDT
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As the calendar flips to September, the Toronto Blue Jays are switching things up for the biggest series of the season.
As the club opens a crucial three-game set at Progressive Field against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday evening, right-hander Spencer Miles will take the ball as an opener, with Spencer Arrighetti, originally slated to start, following behind him in a bulk role.
Toronto sits at 68-70, just 1.5 games back of Cleveland for the final American League Wild Card spot, and the Guardians occupy that third and final berth at 69-68. After carrying an 18 percent playoff probability from FanGraphs just one week ago, Toronto’s odds have surged to 25.5 per cent. That surge comes on the heels of a three-game sweep over Seattle, capped by Max Scherzer’s seven-inning, 10-strikeout masterclass in a 7-0 victory on Sunday, while Cleveland enters having dropped two of three to Kansas City before an 11-1 blowout win on Sunday.
Having taken two of three games against Cleveland during an April series at Rogers Centre, a single victory at Progressive Field this week would secure the season series for Toronto, effectively granting them a half-game advantage in tiebreaker scenarios. In fact, that tiebreaker extends well beyond Cleveland. Toronto enters September in pole position against four of the six teams chasing that final Wild Card spot. The only two clubs Toronto trails in that group are the Twins, 3-4 with no games left, and the Rangers, 0-4 with three still on the schedule. 
Now with that out of the way, Blue Jays manager John Schneider is handing the ball to right-hander Spencer Miles as an opener. Miles, a Rule 5 draft selection who has pitched to a sparkling 2.92 ERA across 83.1 innings, has evolved into a Swiss Army knife for Toronto. He has logged duties as an opener, bulk receiver, and high-leverage arm following the trade of Jeff Hoffman to Minnesota. Miles enters Tuesday on a tear, posting 8.2 consecutive scoreless innings over his last nine appearances, including a two-inning scoreless opener start on August 25 in a 3-0 win over Kansas City. Using Miles early allows Toronto to neutralize Cleveland’s dangerous top of the order before handing the ball off to Spencer Arrighetti for bulk relief. 
Arrighetti, acquired from Houston in the Daulton Varsho trade, has struggled early in Toronto with a 7.36 ERA over 7.1 innings, bringing his overall season mark to 7-7 with a 4.81 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 95 strikeouts in 95.1 innings. Arrighetti’s 9.0 K/9 highlights his raw stuff, but reducing his elevated 5.1 BB/9 walk rate will be critical against a disciplined Guardians lineup.
Standing opposite Toronto’s tandem is Cleveland right-hander Gavin Williams, whose baseline figures position him among the premier starting pitchers in the American League. Williams carries a 3.98 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 204 strikeouts over 156 innings, making him one of just three AL starters to eclipse the 200-strikeout mark in a Cleveland rotation that ranks fourth in the AL with a 3.73 ERA. 
However, there are some vulnerabilities that Toronto can exploit. Williams was hit hard in his last outing on August 25 against the Angels, lasting just 1.1 innings while surrendering five earned runs on six hits. Over his past four starts, Williams’ walk rate has spiked to 5.3 BB/9, a stark contrast to the 2.5 BB/9 rate he maintained over his first 23 starts. Furthermore, active Blue Jays hitters have historically hammered Williams, generating a .357 batting average, .482 wOBA, and .561 expected slugging percentage across 48 cumulative plate appearances against him.
That familiarity is supported by a Toronto lineup coming off a 17-11 August, their best month of the 2026 season.  Alejandro Kirk posted a 160 wRC+ in August after returning from a left thumb fracture, hitting .341 with five home runs, 20 RBIs, and more walks (12) than strikeouts (nine) while driving in 13 runs over his last 14 games. On top of that, outfielder George Springer shook off a slow start with a 141 wRC+ in August, raising his post-All-Star Game OPS to .892. Trade Deadline addition Brett Bateman rounds out the trio with a 127 wRC+ in August.
Roster expansion on September 1 brings fresh depth to both dugouts. Toronto expanded its active roster by calling up left-handed pitcher Ricky Tiedemann and infielder Sean Keys, while activating left-handed reliever Joe Mantiply and infielder Josh Smith from the Injured List, and designating outfielder Daz Cameron for assignment. Cleveland responded by recalling utility man Daniel Schneemann, who hit .330 with a .993 OPS at Triple-A Columbus, and selecting the contract of power reliever Carlos Hernandez. 
With an AL Wild Card berth suddenly within reach, Tuesday’s opener at Progressive Field is as tough a measuring stick as the Blue Jays will face all month. Nothing about this matchup should come easy. Gavin Williams can still look like an ace when his command is locked in, and running out an opener-to-bulk strategy on the road leaves Toronto with zero room for error on the mound. Still, a victory on Tuesday would do far more than just shave the standings gap; it would put the crucial head-to-head tiebreaker in the Blue Jays’ back pocket and set the tone for a high-octane September. The opportunity is present, but Toronto will have to earn every bit of it.
Location: Progressive Field – Cleveland, OH
First Pitch: 6:40 PM ET
 Watch/Listen: Sportsnet, SN590

Starting Pitchers

Toronto Blue Jays – Spencer Miles: 5-2, 2.92 ERA, 83.1 IP, 78 SO, 28 BB
Cleveland Guardians – Gavin Williams: 12-7, 3.98 ERA, 150.0 IP, 204 SO, 47 BB

Lineups:

Blue Jays:
  1. Brett Bateman – CF
  2. Alejandro Kirk – C
  3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
  4. George Springer – DH
  5. Nathan Lukes – RF
  6. Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
  7. Andrés Giménez – SS
  8. Ernie Clement – 2B
  9. Myles Straw – LF
Guardians:
  1. Steven Kwan – CF
  2. Chase DeLauter – DH
  3. José Ramírez – 3B
  4. Jo Adell – RF
  5. Nathaniel Lowe – 1B
  6. Ángel Martínez – LF
  7. Travis Bazzana – 2B
  8. Patrick Bailey – C
  9. Brayan Rocchio – SS
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