The Toronto Blue Jays are one of the hottest teams in baseball, as Cardinals saw Monday night in St. Louis.
The Blue Jays will bid for their 11th victory in 13 games when they face the Cardinals on Tuesday in the middle game of a three-game series. Toronto won 5-4 in 10 innings Monday night after tying the game in the ninth inning.
“This one hurts a little bit, because you want to be able to finish that off and shake hands and get ready for tomorrow,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “But we’ll get some sleep and still get ready for tomorrow.”
Toronto’s Tuesday starter will be Chris Bassitt (6-3, 3.56 ERA), who earned a 9-1 victory over the Phillies on Thursday in his latest start. He held Philadelphia to one run on five hits and two walks in seven innings while striking out six.
That was a nice rebound from his previous start, when he allowed five runs on seven hits, including two homers, in five innings against the Athletics. Bassitt made an adjustment that clicked by moving to the right side of the rubber.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider liked what he saw.
“A little better velo early on his fastball,” Schneider said. “He mixed his pitches well, curveball was a good pitch, especially to their lefties. I thought he pitched in well, got a couple of quick outs in and limited damage. He pitched in, worked away, commanded everything well.”
Bassitt is 1-1 with a 7.58 ERA in four career starts against the Cardinals.
Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk continued his hot streak on Monday, going was 4-for-5 with two doubles, a homer and two RBIs, including the game-winner in the 10th inning. In his past nine games, he is 16-for-35 (.457) with four doubles, a homer and 10 RBIs.
A reporter asked Schneider what’s gotten into Kirk lately.
“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Kirky. He’s full of words,” Schneider quipped. “Cast you votes for him in the All-Star Game.”
The Cardinals have lost five of their past eight games. They will try to bounce back behind starter Miles Mikolas (4-2, 3.96 ERA), who has allowed three runs or fewer in nine of his past 10 starts.
St. Louis has won Mikolas’ last seven starts. He allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday in his most recent outing.
“I did some things good,” Mikolas said. “I left some pitches in spots I’d kind of like them back. Some of those at-bats I did a pretty good job of executing, even with two strikes, out of the zone. Sometimes you have to tip your cap to their hitters, really going out of the zone and putting some good swings and some just getting enough.
“Limiting damage, keeping the contact as weak as I can, if there is going to be contact. There’s some things I’d like to sharpen up, but overall I don’t hate it too much.”
Mikolas is 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA in three career starts against the Blue Jays.
The Cardinals adjusted their pitching staff ahead of the series, demoting starting pitcher Michael McGreevy and reliever Matt Svanson and recalling relievers Riley O’Brien and Chris Roycroft.
–Field Level Media
