September 5 Gameday: Max Scherzer starts as Blue Jays look to win another series
Photo credit: © William Purnell-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2026, 18:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 5, 2026, 18:09 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays just have to keep winning.
Since dropping two of three to the Kansas City Royals, the Blue Jays have done just that, winning six of their last seven games. First was a sweep of the Seattle Mariners, then they picked up two crucial wins in their three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians. Their most recent win came on Friday, defeating the Royals 9-2.
Even with the blowout victory, the Blue Jays fell a full game behind the Guardians for the final wild card spot, as the American League Central team swept their doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers. Still, the Blue Jays control their destiny and they need to capitalize on their weak schedule for the remainder of the season.
They’ll look to win their third consecutive series, playing the second of three against the Royals on Saturday evening. They’ll face Seth Lugo, who has a 5.03 ERA in 154 innings of work this season. However, he started against the Blue Jays on August 25th, going five innings of one run ball and picking up the victory.
Max Scherzer started the same night, throwing five innings of two-run ball with five walks and four strikeouts. Since coming off the injured list in late July, Scherzer has a 3.60 ERA and 3.67 FIP in 35 innings of work over seven starts. One of those starts saw him give up seven of the 14 earned runs he’s allowed in that span.
This is by far the best stretch Scherzer has had in a Blue Jays’ uniform, surpassing five-game stretch in late-July and August 2025. His second to final start in the 2025 regular season actually came at Kauffman Stadium, pitching just two-thirds of an inning with seven earned runs allowed. It’s one of the worst starts of the future Hall of Famer’s career.
Hopefully, Saturday’s game will be better as everything seems to be clicking at the moment, including their offence. For the third time in the last four games, Alejandro Kirk bats clean up, preceded by Brett Bateman, George Springer, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Although Lugo is a right-handed pitcher, the Blue Jays have more righties in the lineup, as Kazuma Okamoto bats sixth, Ernie Clement eighth, and Myles Straw ninth. Nathan Lukes and Andrés Giménez join Bateman as the lefties in the lineup, and they bat fifth and seventh respectively.
Let’s set up Saturday evening’s game!
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
First Pitch: 7:10 PM ET
Watch/Listen: Sportsnet, SN590
Starting Pitchers
Toronto Blue Jays – Max Scherzer: 2-7 record, 6.16 ERA, 57 IP, 46 SO, 26 BB
Kansas City Royals – Seth Lugo: 6-8 record, 5.03 ERA, 154 IP, 118 SO, 49 BB
Lineups:
Blue Jays:
- Brett Bateman – CF
- George Springer – DH
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
- Alejandro Kirk – C
- Nathan Lukes – RF
- Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
- Andrés Giménez – SS
- Ernie Clement – 2B
- Myles Straw – LF
Royals:
- Carter Jensen – C
- Bobby Witt Jr. – SS
- Jac Caglianone – RF
- Salvador Perez – DH
- Vinnie Pasquantino – 1B
- Michael Massey – 2B
- John Rave – CF
- Josh Rojas – 3B
- Isaac Collins – LF
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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