Blue Jays shake up lineup for second game against Red Sox

The headline on Toronto’s card was the shape of the order. Myles Straw led off, Ernie Clement hit second, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stayed in the 3-hole, giving the Blue Jays a speed-contact-power look right at the top.

Behind them, Schneider leaned into his right-handed bats. Kazuma Okamoto hit cleanup, Lenyn Sosa batted fifth, and Eloy Jiménez followed in the 6 spot as Toronto lined up against another Boston left-hander.

That part matters because the Red Sox were turning to Payton Tolle, making it the fourth straight game Boston started a lefty. Schneider’s answer was obvious: stack as many right-handed options as possible around Guerrero.

The lower part of the lineup filled in with Jesús Sánchez, Davis Schneider, and Tyler Heineman. That gave Toronto a card built more on matchup planning than on its healthiest possible group.

George Springer remained out again, which kept forcing Toronto to improvise at the top. The Blue Jays had already been patching together lineups without him, and Tuesday was another example of Schneider trying to balance speed, defense, and enough right-handed offense to pressure Boston early.

This was not a routine April order. The Blue Jays entered the night 12-16 after being shut out 5-0 on Monday, while Boston came in 12-17 and riding a 3-game win streak.

That gave the lineup more weight than usual. Straw at the top was about getting somebody on base and creating movement. Clement right behind him was about keeping the ball in play and letting Guerrero hit with traffic if Toronto could build an inning.

The real gamble sat in the middle. Okamoto, Sosa, and Jiménez were there to do damage against a lefty, and Schneider clearly preferred that path over a more balanced but softer-looking lineup.

Heineman’s spot at the bottom also fit the night. With Trey Yesavage set to make his season debut, Toronto looked like a club trying to support a young starter with a lineup built for one specific matchup rather than broad depth.

So the story was not only who was in. It was how Schneider arranged them. Against another Boston left-hander, the Blue Jays loaded up on right-handed bats, kept Guerrero in the middle, and hoped this version of the lineup could finally push back.