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June 18 Gameday: Trey Yesavage starts as Blue Jays look for their first series sweep since March

Photo credit: © Jaiden Tripi-Imagn Images

By Michael Coyle

Jun 18, 2026, 11:15 EDTUpdated: Jun 18, 2026, 11:13 EDT

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The Toronto Blue Jays are going for the series sweep on Thursday afternoon when they take on the Boston Red Sox.

After claiming the first two games of the series, the Blue Jays will turn to Trey Yesavage as they look for their first sweep since they won all three against the Athletics during their opening series of the season.

The Blue Jays have had three chances to sweep since that opening series but have dropped the final game all three times. Achieving a win on Thursday will push the Blue Jays’ record to one game back of .500 and give them momentum as they head into Chicago.

Yesavage will be making his 10th start of the season this afternoon and is 3-3 with a 3.78 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 47.2 innings pitched. The strikeouts remain up for Yesavage, who has recorded 47 to this point, but walks have become a concern. Over his past three starts, Yesavage has 15 free passes.

Both of Yesavage’s starts in June have been a struggle for the young right-hander after a sparkling May, where he posted a 2.56 ERA. Yesavage allowed six runs on June 6 over 5.2 innings against the Baltimore Orioles, and then five runs over five innings against the New York Yankees on June 12. With another American League East awaiting, Yesavage will get a shot to right the ship against the Red Sox.

The Red Sox will counter with right-hander Sonny Gray. Gray has gotten off to a strong start over his first 12 outings with the Red Sox after coming over in an offseason trade from the St. Louis Cardinals. Through his 12 starts, Gray is 8-1 with a 3.03 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP over 62.1 IP.

Gray missed two starts after being placed on the 15-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on April 21 but has returned and looked more dominant than ever. In his seven starts following his injury, Gray is 6-0 with a 2.29 ERA and has recorded 38 strikeouts over his 39.1 innings pitched, so the Blue Jays will be in tough on Thursday.

While much of the Red Sox’s offence has struggled for the first two games of the series, and much of the 2026 season, one player who has been a driving force in the lineup has been Willson Contreras.

Contreras, like Gray, was acquired from the Cardinals during the offseason and has fit in seamlessly with the Red Sox. Through 69 games this season, Contreras is batting .294 with 16 home runs and 43 RBIs but has been held in check over the first two games of the series. The 34-year-old has gone 1-for-8 with six strikeouts and has shown his frustration as the losses continue to mount in Boston.

Here is how the lineups look for the series finale at Fenway Park:

Location: Fenway Park – Boston, Massachusetts

First Pitch: 1:35 PM EST

Watch/Listen: Sportsnet, SN590