September 23 Gameday: Blue Jays turn to Max Scherzer with season on the line
Photo credit: Jamie LeBlanc-Imagn Images
Sep 23, 2026, 12:47 EDTUpdated: Sep 23, 2026, 13:28 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays’ 2026 season is on life support.
Following victories by both the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night, the Blue Jays’ elimination number is one, meaning for any chance to secure a playoff spot, the Blue Jays need to go 5-0 over their remaining five contests and have the White Sox go 0-5.
Sitting at 77-80 through 157 games, the Blue Jays will turn to Max Scherzer during the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles. Through 16 starts this season, Scherzer is 3-8 with a 6.07 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. The right-hander has struck out 54 batters across 72.2 innings pitched and been hit at a .243 clip.
The last time Scherzer faced the Orioles the results were not pretty. On September 11, Scherzer turned in a pitching line of 5.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K and was ambushed with a lot of hard contact.
One Orioles batter who Scherzer has gotten the better of throughout his illustrious career is slugger Pete Alonso. Across 23 at-bats, Alonso has been held to a .174 average with no home runs or RBIs. Keeping Alonso in check is no small feat, as the 31-year-old is hitting .265 with 40 home runs and 108 RBIs during his first season in Baltimore.
Countering Scherzer for the Orioles is former Blue Jay Chris Bassitt. Through 19 games (17 starts) this season, Bassitt is 8-5 with a 4.64 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. The right-hander has struck out 72 batters over 97 frames and allowed opponents to hit .291.
Bassitt has faced the Blue Jays twice this season and across his two outings, the 37-year-old has thrown 11 innings and allowed only three runs on 10 hits and four walks while striking out six.
Here is how the lineups look in game one of Wednesday’s doubleheader:
Location: Oriole Park at Camden Yards – Baltimore, Maryland
First Pitch: 1:35 p.m. ET
Watch/Listen: Sportsnet, SN590
Starting Pitchers
Toronto Blue Jays – Max Scherzer: 3-8 record, 6.07 ERA, 72.2 IP, 54 SO, 31 BB
Baltimore Orioles – Chris Bassitt: 8-5 record, 4.64 ERA, 97 IP, 72 SO, 37 BB
Lineups:
Blue Jays:
- Nathan Lukes – RF
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
- Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
- George Springer – DH
- Josh Smith – LF
- Andrés Giménez – SS
- Brandon Valenzuela – C
- Myles Straw – CF
- Ernie Clement – 2B
Orioles:
- Dylan Beavers – LF
- Pete Alonso – 1B
- Gunnar Henderson – SS
- Coby Mayo – DH
- Christian Encarnacion-Strand – 3B
- Colton Cowser – CF
- Jeremiah Jackson – 2B
- Leody Tavaras – RF
- Carlos Narváez – C
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