White Sox begin three-game series undefeated North of the border against the Toronto Blue Jays to conclude season-opening road trip.
The Chicago White Sox ended the first weekend of this season as the only undefeated team in the American League, and fourth in MLB. After coming back in each of their two opening victories, the Sox will begin a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.
Entering Monday, the Sox are in first place in the AL Central division and will look to win their road series with the Blue Jays. The Sox have started the season in impressive fashion as they hit a team record six home runs on Opening Day. They also came back from a 3-1 deficit in their last game against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
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The Sox will face a Blue Jays team that is coming off a split of their opening four-game series with the New York Yankees. Toronto has won their last two games, including a comeback win on Sunday over New York. Justin Smoak, who had a breakout 2017, hit two home runs on Sunday including a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning off former Sox closer David Robertson.
Toronto still has hopes of reaching the postseason in 2018. As the Blue Jays will play in the tough AL East, they will look to get off to a strong start this season. However, they will have to do so with Josh Donaldson as their designated hitter for now. Donaldson is suffering from dead arm which has regulated him to serve as Toronto’s DH. He should return to third base soon however according to sportingnews.com.
The Blue Jays will start Jaime Garcia on Monday against the Sox. Garcia pitched with three teams last season (Atlanta, Minnesota, Yankees) but was under .500 with a 5-10 combined record. The 31-year-old was traded from the Braves to the Twins last July and made one start before being traded to the Yankees. He signed a one-year contract with Toronto this past offseason.
Reynaldo Lopez, who was originally slated to start for the Sox on Sunday, will start on Monday. The Sox contest on Sunday against Kansas City was postponed due to weather. Lopez will make his first start of the season in Toronto instead. The Sox will start Miguel Gonzalez on Tuesday and Carson Fulmer on Wednesday.
J.A. Happ will start for the Blue Jays on Tuesday. This will be Happ’s second start of the season. In his first start of 2018 on Opening Day, Happ pitched 4.2 innings while allowing two earned runs and recording five strikeouts. He will look to have a longer outing in his start against the Sox.
The Blue Jays will start Aaron Sanchez in the finale of this series on Wednesday. Sanchez didn’t have a good outing in his first start of the season against the Yankees on Mar. 30. In that start, Sanchez pitched 5.2 innings, but allowed four earned runs on eight hits and also walked four batters.
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After the conclusion of this series against Toronto, the Sox will return to Chicago to begin a three-game slate with the Detroit Tigers. The Sox home opener will be on Thursday as the team will start a six-game homestand.