The Toronto Blue Jays were unable to secure a sweep against the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this week, dropping game three of the series when the D’backs lit up Kevin Gausman for seven runs. The Jays still put a series win in their pocket, which has them in the thick of the Wild Card race with their 40-34 record, and they’re welcoming a struggling Chicago White Sox squad that has just one win in their last ten games.

On paper, this series looks like a slam dunk for the Blue Jays, who can find themselves towards the top of the AL East with a sweep and some division rivals struggling to win this weekend.

On the mound, manager John Schneider will send Spencer Turnbull to start the contest. How long he will go is still up for debate, but for now, the right-hander is slated to receive most of the action this evening.

Turnbull has just two appearences under his belt after signing late with the Jays. With the ability to pitch multiple innings, the Alabama product has 4 1/3 innings to his credit and has limited the damage against, allowing just seven hits and one earned run in the limited span. He also has two walks and two strikeouts on the ledger, and today, it wouldn’t be surprising if the club has him go four plus innings and hit the 70-90 pitch mark while working with some bullpen arms to get through the outing.

Opposite of Turnbull for the White Sox is right-hander Grant Taylor, who will be making the fifth appearance of his career and his first Major League start. It appears that it may be a bullpen game of sorts for Chicago, with Taylor having limited starting experience since being drafted by the White Sox in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Through the limited outings, Taylor owns a 4.50 ERA through four innings of work, striking out five compared to one walk while allowing two earned runs.

Taylor works with a four-pitch mix, relying mostly on his four-seam fastball (54.7%) that sits in the upper 90s in terms of velocity. He rounds this out with a cutter, curveball, and a slider.

Tonight is Pride Night at the ballpark, with the Jays giving away a Pride-themed crossbody bag for the first 15,000 fans.

Location: Rogers Centre – Toronto, Ontario

First Pitch: 7:07 PM EST

Watch/Listen: Sportsnet / Sportsnet 590 The Fan

Toronto Blue Jays – Spencer Turnbull: 1-0 record, 2.08 ERA, 4 1/3 IP, 2 SO, 2 BB

Chicago White Sox – Grant Taylor: 0-0 record, 4.50 ERA, 4 IP, 5 SO, 1 BB