Blue Jays look to sweep Cardinals with Yariel Rodriguez leading the charge | Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays will look for right-hander Yariel Rodriguez to present continued enchancment after they bid for a three-game sweep of the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.

The Blue Jays (71-78) adopted a 4-3 victory in 11 innings on Friday with a 7-2 win over the Cardinals (74-74) on Saturday.

Rodriguez allowed one run on two hits with six strikeouts over 5 innings on Sept. 8 in opposition to the host Atlanta Braves in his most up-to-date recreation. He acquired a no-decision after the Blue Jays misplaced 4-3 in 11 innings.

Rodriguez (1-6, 4.42 ERA) will face St. Louis for the first time.

“I've learned this year that in between outings you really have to work and stay ready and prepare yourself with recovery,” Rodriguez mentioned. “It's something that I'm carrying over to next year to start the year with a lot of energy, and try to pitch (well) and help my team win some games.”

St. Louis is scheduled to begin right-hander Miles Mikolas (8-11, 5.55 ERA) on Sunday. He has a 7.20 ERA with out recording a choice in two profession begins in opposition to Toronto.

Mikolas will strive to rebound from a stretch of eight begins through which he's 0-3 with a 7.23 ERA.

He is coming off a two-inning outing on Sept. 8 in a 10-4 loss to the visiting Seattle Mariners. He allowed seven runs (six earned) and 9 hits.

“He's a strike thrower,” St. Louis supervisor Oliver Marmol mentioned. “There's days he's going to get hit, and there's days those are going to be at people. Just didn't have the ability to execute and get some of his pitches glove-side the way he wanted to, and they ran back over the plate, and they hit it hard.”

Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was 1-for-3 with an RBI single on Saturday. It was his five hundredth profession RBI as he turned the youngest Blue Jay to attain that mark. He is the twelfth participant in franchise historical past — and fifth quickest at 806 video games — to attain 500 RBIs. He has 96 RBIs for the season.

“This year he's separated himself and been on a different level offensively,” Toronto supervisor John Schneider mentioned. “He's a really good hitter who understands how to drive in runs.”

Toronto right-hander Jose Berrios allowed one run and two hits in seven innings on Saturday to win his seventh consecutive begin and attain a career-best 16 wins for the season. He has a 1.51 ERA throughout his seven-game profitable streak.

Roy Halladay has the most consecutive profitable begins in franchise historical past with 11 in 2003.

Blue Jays left fielder Joey Loperfido left Saturday's recreation after the fourth inning due to left adductor discomfort.

Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado suffered an insect sting in the backside of the eighth and left for a pinch hitter in the ninth. There was swelling, however he's anticipated to play on Sunday.

“A bee flew near my ear, I wiped it with my glove,” Arenado mentioned. “I thought it was gone, I put my glove on and got stung. It got stuck in my glove, and it stung me on my pinkie. When I pulled my hand out after it stung me, the stinger was on my finger.”

Toronto outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) is listed as day-to-day. Infielder Leo Jimenez (finger contusion) was a late scratch from the beginning lineup on Saturday.

–Field Level Media