Series Preview: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Washington Nationals 5/3-5/5

The Toronto Blue Jays will take on the Washington Nationals for three games. The Blue Jays are coming off a series loss to the Royals while the Nationals are coming off a series split against the Rangers.

Toronto Blue Jays (15-17) vs. Washington Nationals (15-15)

Game 1:

Date: Friday, May 3
Time: 6:45 pm EST
Broadcast: Apple TV+

Game 2:

Date: Saturday, May 4
Time: 4:05 pm EST
Broadcast: Sportsnet

Game 3:

Date: Sunday, May 5
Time: 1:35 pm EST
Broadcast: Sportsnet

Probable Starting Pitchers

Game 1: Yusei Kikuchi (2-2, 2.94 ERA) vs. Patrick Corbin (0-3, 6.82 ERA)

Kikuchi gets the first game, this season he is 2-2 with a 2.94 ERA, a 2.51 FIP, a 1.15 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts in 33.2 innings. In his last start, he faced the Dodgers going six innings giving up four runs on nine hits; he didn’t issue a walk and struck out three. He has never faced the Nationals in his career. Corbin gets the ball for Washington, he is 0-3 with a 6.82 ERA, a 4.64 FIP, a 1.89 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts in 31.2 innings. In his last start, he faced the Marlins going four innings giving up seven runs, four of which were earned on eight hits; he walked two and struck out four. In his career against the Blue Jays, he is 1-2 with a 5.82 ERA, a 2.00 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts in 17 innings.

Game 2: Kevin Gausman (1-3, 4.50 ERA) vs. Jake Irvin (2-2, 4.28 ERA)

Gausman gets the middle game, he is 1-3 with a 4.12 FIP, a 1.35 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts in 28 innings. In his last start, he faced the Dodgers going seven innings giving up one run on five hits; he didn’t issue a walk and struck out five. In his career against Washington, he is 7-3 with a 4.83 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts in 59.2 innings. Irvin goes for the Nationals, he is 2-2 with a 4.28 ERA, a 3.40 FIP, a 1.18 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts in 33.2 innings. In his last start, he faced the Marlins going six innings giving up two runs on four hits; he didn’t issue a walk and struck out three. He has never faced Toronto in his career.

Game 3: Yariel Rodriguez (0-1, 4.11 ERA) vs. MacKenzie Gore (2-3, 3.19 ERA)

Rodriguez gets the finale, he is 0-1 with a 4.11 ERA, a 4.53 FIP, a 1.76 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts in 15.1 innings. He last pitched on Monday against the Royals going 3.2 innings giving up three runs, only two earned on six hits; he walked three and struck out one. He has never faced the Nationals in his career. Gore gets the ball for the Nationals making his sixth start of the season, he is 2-3 with a 3.19 ERA, a 2.71 FIP, a 1.35 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts in 31 innings. In his last start, he faced the Rangers going five innings giving up two runs on five hits; he walked one and struck out seven. In his career against Toronto, he picked up a win in his lone start going five innings, one run on six hits; he walked two and struck out two.

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Washington Nationals Leaders

Blue Jays:

AVG – Justin Turner – .298
HR – Daulton Varsho – 6
RBI – Justin Turner – 15
IP – Jose Berrios – 43.2
ERA – Jose Berrios – 1.44
K – Yusei Kikuchi – 36

Nationals:

AVG – CJ Abrams – .286
HR – CJ Abrams – 7
RBI – CJ Abrams – 17
IP –Jake Irvin – 33.2
ERA – Trevor Williams – 2.27
K – MacKenzie Gore – 38

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Washington Nationals Numbers

Blue Jays

AVG: .224 (24)
OPS: .667 (22)
R: 111 (26)
HR: 28 (21)
ERA: 4.34 (23)
K: 247 (24)
WHIP: 1.35 (24)

Nationals

AVG: .231 (21)                       
OPS: .674 (19)
R: 119 (21)
HR: 27 (24)
ERA: 4.16 (21)
K: 240 (27)
WHIP: 1.42 (26)

Wrap Up

The Blue Jays are all done with the Kansas City Royals in 2024, a team they’ve had a tough time with having gone 2-5 against them. Now they turn to the National League East starting with a three game weekend series against the Nationals before they take on the Phillies. The Blue Jays bats need to come together in this series before things start to slip away from them. This is a series despite the Nationals record that the Blue Jays should realistically sweep and that’ll go along way in them getting back into the race with the calendar now flipped to May.