logo
Series Preview: Blue Jays continue their West Coast swing with a three-game set against the Giants
alt
Photo credit: © Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
Aidan Sinclair
Jul 6, 2026, 16:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 6, 2026, 15:28 EDT
Comments
Just when the Blue Jays appeared to be back on track with a series victory over the Mets and a nine-run outburst from the offence on Canada Day, they went on to lose a series to the Seattle Mariners, and are now in the midst of a 23-inning scoreless streak.
Though they still have a chance to compete, given how weak the American League has been this season, their odds of climbing back into the fight are becoming slimmer by the day. 
The team currently sits at a 42-48 record, good for third in the AL East and three games back of a Wild Card spot, though that margin may feel larger given the way the team has performed in recent weeks. The team has been inconsistent at best, most notably bringing their record back to .500 at the end of June, before experiencing a six-game losing streak, which essentially left them in the position they find themselves now. 
The problem with this team is clear; they don’t have an adequate offence that can support their overall formidable pitching staff. It took Dylan Cease throwing seven scoreless innings Friday night to even have a chance at winning a ballgame, which is not something the team can rely on their starters doing night in and night out. In the last seven days, of players with at least 15 plate appearances, not a single one has an OPS over .600. As a team, the Jays are hitting .178 with a .478 OPS in their last week of play, with just two home runs and 11 runs scored, both good for last in the league. 
At the beginning of the season, the Jays’ problems offensively stemmed from an inability to produce with runners in scoring position. Heading into their series with the Giants, they rank third-worst in the league in terms of OPS with RISP, at a .674 mark. Though that continues to be a problem, the bats aren’t producing even with no runners on base. 
Aside from Shane Bieber, who struggled mightily against the Mariners in his most recent outing, the starting rotation has been solid to begin July. Trey Yesavage put together what should’ve been a start worthy of a win, going six innings, allowing just two runs, but with no help offensively, he collected his fourth loss of the season. Spencer Miles looked fantastic in his most recent outing on Canada Day, and Kevin Gausman is coming off a great start, throwing six innings of one-run ball, yet he also picked up a loss. 
The bullpen continues to do its part as well, though its high-leverage opportunities are continuing to diminish. Louis Varland is now officially an All-Star and is 18/18 in save opportunities, though as the team hits less and less, he has less reason to be used at the end of games. Jeff Hoffman has given up just one run since June 1st, and Tyler Rogers has allowed just one earned run since May 27th. Unfortunately, that goes unnoticed when the offence doesn’t perform the way it needs to. 
George Springer is likely to return to the lineup for the first game of the series against the Giants after missing the Mariners series for the birth of his child. One can only hope that it will spark the Jays, as they’ll take any runs they can get at this point. 

Examining the San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants came into 2026 hoping to compete in a tough NL West division, after finishing either third or fourth every year since 2022. They brought in Luis Arraez, who has improved his defence drastically and continued to hit for great contact, but their core players haven’t performed to expectations. 
The team currently holds a miserable 37-52 record, ahead of the Colorado Rockies in fourth place in the division by just one game. They sit 11 games back of a Wild Card spot and are coming off a rough series against said Rockies, losing the first game 15-3 behind a blowup outing from Logan Webb and blowing a lead late in the finale, summing up their inconsistencies in 2026. 
As a team, the Giants are slashing .256/.308/.422/.730, with a 101 WRC+, good for 18th in the league. They possess the lowest walk rate in the league at 6.4%, but strike out at just a 20.7% clip, good for sixth best in the league. They are in the bottom ten league-wide in home runs with 99, and have just three everyday players with an OPS over .800. 
Their starting pitching staff ranks ninth-worst in the league in terms of ERA at a 4.51 mark. Their FIP, however, ranks 12th best in the league at a 4.14 mark, and their walk rate (3.40/9) and strikeout rate (8.01/9) rank 20th and 21st, respectively. They’ve been able to limit home runs, having the sixth-best HR/9 in the league at a 1.06 mark. It must be noted that their home field, Oracle Park, is incredibly pitcher-friendly. 
The Giants’ bullpen is eerily similar to the starting staff, ranking eighth-worst in the league with a 4.54 ERA and a 4.48 FIP, good for 10th worst. They have the second-lowest strikeout rate at a 7.71 K/9 and the fifth-highest BB/9 in the league at a 4.51 mark. They’ve done a decent job limiting home runs, having the ninth-best HR/9 in the league at a 1.00 mark. 

One player to watch: Rafael Devers

Through the first month of the season, Rafael Devers was one of baseball’s worst hitters, posting a .207/.248/.289/.537 slashline in March/April. Since the beginning of June, however, he has been on an absolute heater, hitting 11 home runs in 130 plate appearances, slashing .237/.331/.579/.910, currently ranking in the 90th percentile in hard-hit rate at 50.8%. 
His last eight games have been otherworldly, hitting six home runs and slashing .379/.455/1.000/1.455, with a pair of multi-home run games. A longtime member of the Boston Red Sox, Devers is a familiar face for the Blue Jays’ pitching staff. In his career against Toronto, he is slashing .305/.365/.562/.927 with 24 home runs in 108 games. Of current Blue Jays pitchers, his best numbers have come against Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease, hitting .333 with an over 1.000 OPS against the right-handers, both of whom will pitch in this series. 
Though it has been an overall disappointing stint for Devers with the Giants, he appears to have found his power stroke in recent weeks, ranking in the 78th percentile or higher in xSLG, Average Exit Velo and Barrel rate. Though he’s not the only bat in San Francisco’s lineup that’s been heating up lately, he may be the most difficult out in this series. 

Quick Hits

  • With George Springer likely to return to the big league lineup Monday night, the Jays will have to make a corresponding move, likely having to pick between Luis Urias, Sean Keys and Yohendrick Pinango as options to demote to triple-A Buffalo. Keys had a great game Friday night, but is overall hitting just .190. Pinango is hitting .188 in his last seven games, with Urias hitting .316 in a small sample with the team. 
  • Dylan Cease was masterful against the Mariners last time out, featuring a fastball that touched triple digits all the way through the seventh inning. His season ERA now sits at 2.79, and he will pitch against the Giants in this series, a team he has had relative success against in the past, with a 3.59 ERA across eight starts. He also officially became an All-Star over the weekend.
  • Spencer Miles will be facing the team that made him available for the Blue Jays to pick up in the rule five draft last offseason, coming off one of his best outings of the season. On Canaday Day, Miles featured a fastball in the upper-90s, touching 99mph with regularity and holding the Mets to just one hit over three innings of work. 
  • Toronto will not see former Blue Jays Matt Chapman or Robbie Ray in this series, as Chapman was recently placed on the 10-day injured list with an abdominal strain and Ray is not lined up to start one of the three games. 
  • The next two series could be very decisive for the Blue Jays, as they may get a clearer picture as to whether or not they can be buyers at the trade deadline. Though it may already appear as though they should sell, the weak nature of the American League has allowed them to enter back into the race, should they perform this week against a pair of West Coast teams. 

Probable pitchers

Monday: Kevin Gausman/Landen Roupp
Tuesday: TBA (Spencer Miles)/Trevor McDonald
Wednesday: Dylan Cease/Logan Webb

Game times

Monday: 9:45 PM EST
Tuesday: 9:45 PM EST
Wednesday: 3:45 PM EST

CHECK OUT OFF THE ROSTER – NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEKDAY

Off The Roster is Toronto sports. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, this is the go-to morning conversation for everything happening in the 6ix – Hockey, Baseball, Basketball, and everything in between. From breakout performances and questionable trades to throwback jerseys, viral moments, and the stories fans are actually talking about—it’s smart, sharp, and never scripted. Live weekday mornings on the Nation Network YouTube channel and available wherever you stream podcasts, the show delivers real opinions, real chemistry, and real Toronto energy. Missed an episode? Catch up anytime. Off The Roster—The new sound of the 6ix.
Uncategorized
MORE NEWS. IN YOUR INBOX.
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Breaking News