The Toronto Blue Jays are on a roll.

After starting the 2026 season with a 7-13 record, the Blue Jays have won eight of their last 11 games. In that span, they’ve taken two of three against the Los Angeles Angels, Cleveland Guardians, and the Boston Red Sox. Their most recent series, against the Red Sox, was the first time they had played an American League East opponent.

Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Twins kicks off the Blue Jays’ first four-game series of the season, as well as the first series they’ll play against opponent they had previously played. Starting the game is Kevin Gausman, who didn’t pitch against the Twins at Rogers Centre earlier this month.

The veteran right-handed pitcher is off to a great start this season, rocking a 2.57 ERA and 2.58 FIP in 35 innings pitched. Gausman’s strikeout rate sits at 27.5%, the highest he’s had since 2023. His last time out was also against an American League Central team, the Guardians, where he went six and two-thirds with two earned runs allowed, a home run, and three strikeouts.

There is a concerning trend for Gausman, who has given up nine earned runs in his last 23 innings pitched, good enough for a 3.52 ERA and 3.55. Gausman also isn’t striking out batters nearly as much as he had in his first two games, as he has a 17.3 K% over his last four games.

Starting for the Twins is Bailey Ober, who also didn’t pitch in the most recent series between the two teams. The 6’9″ righty has a 3.94 ERA and 3.87 FIP in 32 innings pitched this season. Ober has similar career-numbers against the Blue Jays, authoring a 3.96 ERA in his 38.2 career innings against the team.

Ober made two starts against the Blue Jays last season, giving up nine earned runs over 12 innings of work, while striking out seven. In Minneapolis on June 6th, he went seven innings with five earned runs allowed, resulting in a loss. At the end of August in Toronto, he gave up four earned runs in five innings of work, but the Twins won that 7-5. In each game, he gave up two home runs.

Last season, Ober gave up 30 home runs, tied for seventh-most for any pitcher in 2025. This season, Ober has given up just three home runs, including one in his most recent start.

Hitting three of those four home runs off Ober last season was George Springer, as he went 4-5 in the home game against the Twins. Activated ahead of Wednesday’s series finale, Springer will make his first start since the second of three games against the Twins earlier this season. He leads off the game.

This time, the wheel of “who bats second” landed on Jesús Sánchez, who is 1-3 in his career against Ober. As always, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits third.

Despite Ober being a righty, Kazuma Okamoto remains in the cleanup spot, as he’s been hot in the Blue Jays’ 8-3 stretch. He’s followed by Daulton Varsho and Ernie Clement. Yohendrick Piñango gets another start after picking up his first career RBI in Wednesday’s game.

Andrés Giménez bats eight against and remains as the team-leader for RBIs with 16, with Sánchez, Guerrero Jr., and Okamoto not far behind him (15 each). Finally, Brandon Valenzuela bats ninth after hitting his second career homer on Wednesday.

Let’s set up Thursday’s series opener!

Toronto Blue Jays – Kevin Gausman: 2-1 record, 2.57 ERA, 35 IP, 38 SO, 6 BB

Minnesota Twins – Bailey Ober: 2-1 record, 3.94 ERA, 32 IP, 27 SO, 11 BB