The host Toronto Blue Jays will send out Dylan Cease Sunday afternoon as they go for a three-game sweep of the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Blue Jays have won a season-best four straight, including the first two of a three-game series with the Pirates after a 5-2 victory on Saturday. Toronto left-hander Patrick Corbin allowed one run in six innings and struck out a season-best seven.

The Pirates have lost six of eight and their ace, Paul Skenes, allowed four runs and a career-high nine hits in taking the loss on Saturday. Skenes has allowed nine runs (five against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 17) over his past two starts and his ERA has jumped from 1.98 to 3.00.

“I wasn’t super unhappy with some of the execution on some of the pitches, but could have executed a number of them better,” Skenes said. “I’ll have to re-watch it again, but yeah, I think, probably similar to last week, probably not as bad as the line would suggest.”

Cease (3-2, 2.98 ERA) is coming off a May 19 road loss to the New York Yankees, who tagged him for five runs in five innings. He struck out nine but walked four.

“You walk guys, you fall behind, you’re probably not going to win,” Cease said. “When I’m in the zone, I like where I’m at. Didn’t do a good job of it today.”

Cease is 1-1 with a 3.54 ERA in five career starts against the Pirates. In two starts against them last season, he was 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA.

The Pirates are scheduled to start right-hander Mitch Keller (4-2, 3.86), who is 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA in two career starts against the Blue Jays.

Toronto designated hitter George Springer appears to have overcome his early-season struggles. He led off the bottom of the first with his fifth homer of the season and his third of the week on Saturday. He has 65 career leadoff homers. He also had a double on Saturday.

Springer is on a six-game hit streak, batting .320 (8-for-25) with two doubles, three homers and five RBIs.

“He’s trending in the right direction,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He’s taking some good swings this past week. It’s good to get him rolling a little bit.”

The Blue Jays have won seven of their past 10.

“I think our last 15, 16 games have been great,” Springer said. “Guys are starting to settle in and play to their strengths.”

Ernie Clement is one of those surging players. He was 1-for-4 with an RBI single on Saturday. In his past 14 games, he is hitting .362/.400/.574 with four doubles, two homers and seven RBIs.

Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds was 2-for-3 with a walk Saturday, becoming the 34th player to reach the 1,000-game plateau as a Pirate.

Former Blue Jay Spencer Horwitz was 1-for-3 and was hit by a pitch Saturday. The Pirates first baseman has played 18 games in May, and is batting .310 (18-for-58) with five doubles, one triple, one homer and 12 RBIs.

Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected during the sixth inning of the loss. The Pirates felt that Jesus Sanchez had struck out on a checked swing before eventually hitting an RBI double in the three-run inning.

“We’re in a big moment right there,” Kelly said. “I thought Sanchez had check swung and went, for sure, at that ball. I just felt like it was a big moment. Obviously, I didn’t agree with the call.”

–Field Level Media

Johnny Manziel made his amateur MMA debut Saturday at Brand Risk 14, making quick work of social media influencer Bob Menery in a 205-pound bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

In the opening minute, a lackadaisical Menery ran directly into a takedown. Manziel, a former NFL quarterback and the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner easily secured the mount, raining down elbows and punches until the bout was stopped at 2:15 of Round 1.

“Respected you for getting in here. Much love, brother,” Manziel said after being awarded an honorary “W U” belt for his victory.

Both men immediately indicated they have no intentions of fighting again, with Menery adding, “Not after that display,” when asked about a second fight.

The influencer-driven spectacle — pivoted from Miami to Vegas after promoter Adin Ross secured the blessing of UFC CEO Dana White — drew an exclusive crowd including music icon Chris Brown, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

White previously helped generate buzz by publicly doubting the fight would even happen, stating he placed a $10,000 bet that the notoriously unpredictable Menery would no-show.

Saturday’s 11-fight card — with an MMA main card after a boxing prelim card — was the first Brand Risk event held outside Miami or Nashville since its inception.

Brand Risk 14 main card (MMA)

Johnny Manziel def. Bob Menery by TKO (Round 1, 2:16)

Lance Stephenson def. Michael Beasley by submission (rear-naked choke) (Round 1, 1:26)

DeWayne “Supah Hot Fire” Stevenson def. William “Ray J” Norwood Jr. by TKO (Round 2, 0:26)

Johnathan “No Neck Jay” Webb def. Shane Chance by KO (Round 2, 1:10)

Jeremy Smith def. Ryder Warbrick by unanimous decision

Dominick “Dom the Troll” Giannetto def. Tommy Tough Knuckles by submission (rear-naked choke) (Round 1, 0:29)

–Field Level Media

The Baltimore Orioles will be eager to build momentum and the Detroit Tigers are anxious to snap out of their funk.

There could be ample opportunities for those scenarios when the teams meet in Sunday’s day-night doubleheader in Baltimore.

With Saturday’s game rained out and a shaky forecast for Sunday, it might not be a smooth day of action.

Yet there’s a big push to get the games played Sunday as this series marks the only scheduled visit of the season for the Tigers in Baltimore.

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said it’s crucial that the team focus on what they can control and not become consumed with the possibilities regarding the schedule.

“There’s always the thought of coming back here (to make up a game or two), but we can’t get our heads too far down that path,” Hinch said.

The teams played through wet conditions when the Orioles won 7-4 in Friday night’s series opener.

Once again, Baltimore first baseman Pete Alonso has been leading the rallying cry that the Orioles are on the verge of a sustained breakthrough, delivering his 10th homer and four total RBIs in the win.

“I still believe in these guys,” Alonso said. “This team, this organization, I think we’re right there, and I just think collectively, once we kind of get the ball rolling, so to speak, and starting to connect the dots on all sides of the ball … it’s going to be a lovely snowball effect when we get it going.”

The result from the series opener left Detroit with a seven-game losing streak and losses in 15 of its past 17 games. Much of the shortcomings are connected to the offense, as the Tigers are batting a combined .199 since May 3.

The teams combined to use 11 pitchers Friday night, so the rainout allowed them to replenish their bullpens.

The Orioles are expected to use right-hander Brandon Young (3-1, 4.25 ERA) and left-hander Trevor Rogers (2-5, 6.87) as Sunday’s starting pitchers in Game 1 and 2, respectively.

Young has allowed two runs in each of his last two outings, but those covered only a total of nine innings. He has faced Detroit only once, picking up his first big-league decision on April 26, 2025 with a loss when he worked 4 2/3 innings and gave up three runs in a road assignment.

Rogers posted victories in his first two outings, but he hasn’t reached the six-inning mark in his last five starts, taking the loss in all of them. In his last three games, he’s surrendered 17 runs (16 earned) in a combined 9 1/3 innings.

The Tigers also might have a left-hander and right-hander in starting roles on the mound.

Right-hander Troy Melton appears ready for his season debut in the big leagues after rehabilitation assignments that included throwing Tuesday in a Class-A game for Lakeland. Prior to the start of the series, Hinch called the possibility of having Melton in a game this weekend likely. Bringing Melton on board would have to involve player moves that would include the 40-man roster.

The Tigers will use lefty Framber Valdez (2-3, 4.58), who’s 0-2 with a 6.12 ERA across his last five outings, in the first game of the day. Valdez has faced the Orioles seven times in his career — all while with the Houston Astros — and holds a 1-2 mark with a 4.17 ERA across 41 innings.

–Field Level Media