George Springer gives John Schneider a new Blue Jays look today, but Yohendrick Piñango is the lineup jolt as Toronto chases a series win.
Toronto will run Springer at DH, Piñango in right field, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base and Jesús Sánchez in left from the top 4 spots.
Ernie Clement hits 5th at second base, Brandon Valenzuela catches in the 6 hole, Kazuma Okamoto plays third, Andrés Giménez handles shortstop and Myles Straw is in center. Kevin Gausman gets the ball.
The stakes are clean. Toronto and Baltimore both opened Sunday at 31-34, and the Blue Jays' 6-4 win on Saturday turned this afternoon into the rubber game of the series.
The mound matchup gives Toronto a real shot at it. Gausman comes in at 4-4 with a 3.36 ERA and 74 strikeouts, while Baltimore is sending Shane Baz at 3-5 with a 4.29 ERA and 63 strikeouts.
But the card itself is where Schneider made his loudest choice. Piñango is not tucked away at the bottom. He is hitting second, right between Springer and Guerrero Jr., in a spot built for traffic and pressure.
That says plenty about what Toronto wants from the first inning. The Blue Jays are looking for a left-handed bat to keep the top moving, then let Guerrero Jr. hit with men on instead of empty bases.
John Schneider is pushing a different shape
Springer staying at DH keeps one thing steady. Toronto still wants its veteran tone-setter on top, but the support around him has a different feel than it did the last 2 days.
Sánchez in the cleanup spot adds to that. With Baz throwing right-handed, Schneider is leaning into another left-handed swing directly behind Guerrero Jr. and asking that part of the order to do the damage.
Valenzuela's place in the middle is not a throw-in, either. The rookie entered the day batting .254 with a .794 OPS, and he has hit well enough to keep getting real lineup responsibility.
Then the order shifts into a more contact-and-defense lane. Clement, Giménez and Straw are there to keep innings alive, cover ground in the field and get the lineup turned back over to Springer.
Toronto also cannot afford to drift through this one. The Phillies are next at 34-30, and the Blue Jays need to leave this Orioles set with something better than another split at home.
So this lineup is not just a Sunday card. It is Schneider trying to squeeze a series win out of a club still sitting under .500, with Piñango getting one of the biggest spots on the sheet.
Should Yohendrick Piñango stay near the top of the Blue Jays lineup?
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