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Blue Jays Gameday (May 22): Toronto opens series with Pittsburgh Pirates riding two-game winning streak

Photo credit: © Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

By Michael Coyle

May 22, 2026, 18:00 EDTUpdated: May 22, 2026, 17:50 EDT

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The Toronto Blue Jays are set to return home after finishing a seven-game, two-city road trip through Detroit and New York with a record of 4-3.

The Blue Jays (23-27) will begin their six-game homestand with a three-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates (26-24), who have gotten off to a strong start through their opening 50 games.

After falling during the first two games of the series against the Yankees, the Blue Jays rode their pitching staff to a 2-1 and 2-0 victory, holding the potent Yankees lineup to only nine hits over the final 18 innings of the series.

The Blue Jays are starting to get desperate for offence, but one player who has really found his stride is Daulton Varsho. The 29-year-old is currently riding a six-game hit streak, a stretch where he has gone 11-for-23 with three RBIs, helping raise his season average to .276. The seven-year MLB veteran has hit five home runs and 16 RBIs this season, working his way up to batting third in the Blue Jays’ lineup with this strong stretch.

The Pirates’ offence has come out of the gates strong in 2026, scoring 248 runs, the fifth most in MLB. While that has often been the team’s Achilles heel in recent years, the Pirates went out this offseason and added Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, and Marcell Ozuna to a lineup that already includes Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz, giving them more capable batters across their 26-man roster.

Former MLB No. 1 overall prospect Konnor Griffin has made a seamless transition to the big leagues in 2026. The ninth overall selection during the 2024 MLB Draft, Griffin was signed to a nine-year, $140 million extension on April 9, ensuring he, alongside Paul Skenes, will be the faces of the Pirates’ organization for years to come. The 20-year-old is batting .278 with three home runs, 20 RBIs, and is 11-for-12 in stolen base attempts.

In game one of the series, the Pirates will hand the ball to right-hander Bubba Chandler. The 23-year-old made his MLB debut last year and has started nine games for the Pirates this season. Chander is 1-5 with a 5.14 ERA and 1.52 WHIP but brings a high-octane fastball that averages 98.4 MPH. The former third-round selection in the 2021 MLB draft, Chandler has struggled to pitch deep into games, completing six innings only once during the 2026 campaign.

The Blue Jays will counter with Kevin Gausman. Gausman is coming off a start against the Tigers in which he turned in a line of 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, completely dominating a Tigers lineup to ensure the Blue Jays walked out of Detroit with a series win. For the season, Gausman has a 3-3 record, a 3.45 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP, recording 53 strikeouts over 57 1/3 innings.

Here’s how the lineups look for the series opener at Rogers Centre:

First Pitch: 7:07 PM EST

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Watch/Listen: Sportsnet ONE, SN590