Can Blue Jays stay hot against the Orioles? Full series preview

Game One: June 17 – 7:05 pm ET

Aaron Sanchez (6-1, 3.38 ERA, 3.47 FIP) vs.
Mike Wright (3-3, 5.31 ERA, 5.02 FIP)

Aaron Sanchez is coming off one of his uglier starts of the year against these same Orioles. He ended up getting the win, but he was hit fairly hard and gave up four home runs. However, the start before that was arguably his best start of his career as he struck out 12 and only walked one.

The Orioles are a very talented offensive team, but the four home runs Sanchez gave up against them are an outlier. His stuff gets plenty of ground balls and whiffs, and the home run has never been anything that’s given him problems.

His peripherals are fantastic, as he’s been able to increase his strikeout totals as his K/9 has improved to 8.75 on the year. His BB/9 is a very solid 3.09, and his GB% is one of the best in the league at 58.6%. That’s a recipe for success, and he’s yet to even consistently incorporate his changeup into his arsenal.

His future health is obviously very important, but it’s a true disappointment that he will eventually be moved to the bullpen later this year. He’s been the ace of the staff, arguably with Marco Estrada, and he’s been a very important factor in the Jays success this year.

The aforementioned Wright has decent stuff and good velocity, and the former 3rd-rounder in 2011 has had some success in the minor leagues, but it hasn’t translated to the major leagues for the 26-year-old.

He’s struggled to miss bats while also struggling to pound the zone with any consistency. In his career against the Blue Jays, he’s thrown 17.2 IP and given up 24 H, 14 ER, 15 BB, and 12 K. They’ve crushed him and his results against other teams don’t suggest that it should change tonight. Expect more of the same from the Jays offence against Wright.

Next: Yovani returns from the DL and gets Jays in first start back