The host Toronto Blue Jays aim to gain some ground in the American League East on Monday night when they open a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Blue Jays seem to be catching the Rays at the right time. Tampa Bay is on a season-worst five-game losing streak after being swept in a four-game series by the Boston Red Sox. They have four contests left on their eight-game road trip.

“I point to every facet of our game,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said after a 6-1 loss on Sunday. “We just weren’t playing as clean of baseball, whether it was on the mound, at the plate or on defense.”

The Rays are still first in the AL East, 10 1/2 games ahead of the last-place Blue Jays, who lost the rubber match of a three-game series with the visiting Chicago White Sox 3-0 on Sunday.

The problem for the Blue Jays is they are also struggling. The Blue Jays scored five runs in three outings against Chicago, winning the middle game 1-0.

The Blue Jays are 1-2 to open a seven-game homestand as their struggles continue. They were 3-7 on their previous homestand June 22-July 1 before embarking on a 4-5 trip.

“We talk about it, players talk about it,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “We’ve got to start winning. That’s just the bottom line. And it doesn’t really matter how you do it. If you win 1-0, if you win 10-9, you’ve got to start winning. You have to just understand what the situation calls for every game and you have to go out and try to execute it. I don’t want to put pressure on the guys because the season is where it is and the calendar is where it is, but you’ve got to turn it around in a hurry.”

The team has been waiting for things to turn around after a slow start as they did last season when they won the AL East.

“As a player, you’ve just got to play loose,” Toronto center fielder Daulton Varsho said. “You have to trust the person behind you. That’s all I can really say. I know it’s what we’ve been saying all year, but it’s got to turn at some point. And right now, we just have to do it a little bit faster. Sooner rather than later.”

The Rays lead the season series with the Blue Jays 5-1.

Right-hander Dylan Cease (6-4, 2.56 ERA) is the scheduled starter for Toronto on Monday. Cease is 1-3 with a 4.54 ERA in eight career starts against Tampa Bay, including a seven-inning outing on May 13 when he allowed just one run and three hits.

Cease lost a no-hitter on a leadoff single in the ninth in a 10-0 win over the San Francisco Giants on July 8. He struck out the side in the first inning of the All-Star Game.

Right-hander Nick Martinez (8-2, 2.65) is expected to get the nod for the Rays. He is 2-2 with a 5.83 ERA in seven career games (five starts) against Toronto. He last faced them on May 4, when he allowed one run on five hits in five innings to get the win.

The Rays are 14-4 in Martinez’s outings this season. He tossed a scoreless fifth inning in the All-Star Game.

The Rays’ pitching gives them hope that the wins will come again.

“We can’t get discouraged,” said Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda, who was 1-for-12 at Boston. “We’ve got to keep our heads up high and be super encouraging and keep doing our thing. That’s the biggest thing. We’ve been playing good baseball.”

–Field Level Media

After a rocky performance in the All-Star Game, Cristopher Sanchez hopes to look more like himself Monday when the Philadelphia Phillies host the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a three-game series.

With the Midsummer Classic held in Philadelphia, Sanchez (11-4, 2.62 ERA) was selected by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to start the game in front of his home fans. However, the talented left-hander allowed three runs in a shaky first inning as the National League went on to lose to the American League 4-0.

“Just a sign of respect to the fans,” Sanchez said of his pregame salute to the crowd. “A little payback for all the love that they gave me on such an important day, both for me and for the fan base.”

Sanchez has made two starts this month, not counting the All-Star Game, and has allowed 11 runs and 22 hits in 10 1/3 innings.

He has started four times in his career against the Dodgers, going 2-0 with a 4.01 ERA. Additionally, Sanchez started twice against Los Angeles in last year’s National League Division Series, posting a 2.25 ERA, although the Phillies lost both games — and the series in four.

Emmet Sheehan (4-6, 4.81) will get the ball for the Dodgers in his second career start against the Phillies. He held them to one run in 5 2/3 innings in a regular-season matchup last September, and then Sheehan made a pair of appearances out of the bullpen in the NLDS, yielding two runs in three innings.

More recently, Sheehan closed his first half on July 12 with a solid outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He gave up three runs (two earned) over 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven in a 101-pitch effort.

“I’m happy with the work we’ve put in to try to get back to the point we’re at now, and the process of it all,” Sheehan said. “I think we’re in a good spot with what we know we need to work on.”

This outing will mark the first time since June 1 that Sheehan has started on a day other than Sunday. He’ll take the mound against a Philadelphia lineup that struggled to produce in Sunday’s 6-1 loss to the New York Mets.

The Phillies managed only six hits (four singles) in that one and struck out 14 times in dropping the rubber game of the weekend set. Alan Rangel allowed five runs in the first two innings, creating a hole that the offense was unable to dig out of.

“You’re managing that game, trying to get through it, and then you’re trying to keep guys available for (Monday),” said Philadelphia interim manager Don Mattingly. “Hopefully, we’re in a good situation (Monday) with (Sanchez), keeping guys available. We were kind of able to do that.”

Los Angeles split a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, posting an 8-2 victory over New York in the opener before dropping a 2-1 decision in the nightcap. The Dodgers went with a bullpen game in Game 2 and ended up using seven pitchers.

Eventually, Evan Phillips allowed the decisive homer to Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the eighth inning.

“It’s a long day, but it’s the life we chose,” said Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts. “At the end of the night, it’s baseball. We’ve got a bus ride tonight and we’ve got to be ready for Sanchez tomorrow. So it doesn’t get (any) easier.”

–Field Level Media

Michael Wacha has been the Kansas City Royals’ most consistent starting pitcher in 2026. Of late, however, he hasn’t looked like the All-Star he has been this season.

The 35-year-old right-hander has been exceptional during his career against the San Francisco Giants, who visit the Royals on Monday night.

Wacha (5-7, 3.77 ERA) ranks among the major league leaders with 12 quality starts. Just one reason he earned his second All-Star Game nod — 11 years after his only other such honor.

“Just the way I still love the game, and how much I love to prepare,” said Wacha, Monday’s scheduled starter for Kansas City. “I love to go out there and compete every day. I’m glad that the fire is still there.”

Wacha remains an inspiration and Royals management has stated it’s not actively shopping him in advance of the upcoming trade deadline.

However, he has allowed a combined 10 runs and four homers over 10 2/3 innings in losing each of his last two starts. In his most recent, at the New York Mets on July 9, Wacha matched a season high with six runs surrendered, plus three walks, across a season-low 4 2/3 innings.

Wacha has not faced the Giants since 2024, but he’s 3-1 with a stellar 1.94 ERA in 10 career starts against them.

Kansas City is last in the AL Central with 40 victories but took two of three from San Diego at home despite losing 19-2 on Sunday. Budding Royals star Jac Caglianone homered in that series finale, and has recorded seven extra-base hits during his 10-game hitting streak.

Teammate Bobby Witt Jr. was given the day off Sunday. Perhaps that rest will help the All-Star shortstop get back on track after batting .167 (6-for-36) with 10 strikeouts in his last eight games.

He’s batted .310 with six RBIs in 12 career games against the Giants.

San Francisco has just two more wins than Kansas City and will try to avoid a third straight defeat after dropping two of three at Seattle. The Giants managed just five hits during a 6-3 loss Sunday, and they have scored more than three runs twice while splitting their last six games.

“It’s not ideal, but all we can do (Monday) is come out and put our best game forward,” San Francisco left-hander Robbie Ray said.

Despite the Giants’ struggles, rookie Bryce Eldridge hit his 10th homer Sunday and is batting .320 with three homers, four RBIs and six walks in the last seven games.

The Giants are scheduled to start Trevor McDonald (3-7, 5.02), who allowed a homer and two other hits over seven strong innings against Colorado on July 12. It was a needed bounce back for the right-hander, who yielded eight runs and 11 hits in 2 1/3 innings versus Toronto in his previous start on July 7.

“Come back (from the All-Star break) with some confidence and momentum,” McDonald said. “I’m looking forward to the second half (of the season).”

This will be McDonald’s first appearance against the Royals.

San Francisco’s Luis Arraez is 6-for-16 (.375) with two home runs versus Wacha. Giants teammate Willy Adames is 3-for-8 against him.

Royals veteran Salvador Perez is batting .211 this season, but he’s two shy of tying George Brett’s franchise-record 317 career home runs. Perez has four homers in 72 career at-bats over 18 games versus San Francisco.

–Field Level Media