Toronto @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 29, 2018 ) Toronto 5, Baltimore 10

The rest of the American League East ran away and left the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles behind months ago, but the two teams are still doing their best to disrupt things. Fresh off a series win over the New York Yankees, the Blue Jays will try to finish off the road trip strong when they visit the Orioles for the opener of a three-game series on Monday.

Toronto began the road trip by dropping three straight at first-place Boston and lost the opener against the Yankees before recovering to earn a pair of one-run wins. The Orioles own the worst record in baseball and are looking for any sign that the future might be better, and the organization's minor league player of the year, Cedric Mullins, is creating some excitement. Mullins enjoyed a four-hit day in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Chicago White Sox and is 8-for-16 over the last four contests. Baltimore, which enjoyed its lone three-game sweep of the season over the Blue Jays at home Aug. 27-29, has yet to announce a starter for Monday's game while the Blue Jays will hand the ball to rookie lefty Ryan Borucki.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, TVA (Toronto), MASN 2 (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Ryan Borucki (3-4, 4.26 ERA) vs. Orioles TBD

Borucki is suffering through a three-start winless streak but turned in quality starts in each of his last two outings. The 24-year-old yielded two runs and three hits over 6 1/3 innings against the major league-best Boston Red Sox on Tuesday but was left out of the decision in a game Toronto ended up losing 7-2. Borucki was not as sharp at Baltimore on Aug. 29, when he was lit up for five runs on eight hits - two homers - over 4 2/3 innings.

The Orioles are scrambling to find a starter for Monday after right-hander Andrew Cashner was ruled out due to a knee injury. The veteran Texan received a cortisone shot on Thursday but was still not able to make it through his bullpen session on Saturday and is pushed back indefinitely. Baltimore could instead give the start to left-hander Sean Gilmartin, who worked three innings in relief of Cashner on Wednesday at Oakland and has not pitched since, before turning things over to the rest of an expanded September bullpen.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays OF Randal Grichuk is 4-for-9 with four extra-base hits and three RBIs in the last two games.

2. Baltimore C Chance Sisco left Sunday's game after taking a foul tip off the mask and is day-to-day.

3. Toronto rookie OF Billy McKinney is 0-for-14 with six strikeouts over his last five contests.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 12, Orioles 6