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Blake Snell makes comeback as Giants take on Blue Jays

Posted on by Vaseline

Blake Snell, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, is trying to play two games a week in the six days remaining before the All-Star break.

Snell’s first appearance is Tuesday night, when the host San Francisco Giants open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The series is tied between two teams currently below .500, but both teams are hoping to build some momentum before they go on baseball vacation next week.

More about Blake Snell and the SF Giants

The Giants have won three of their last four series despite a tough schedule. They won three of four games against the Chicago Cubs and two of three against the Los Angeles Dodgers in their last home game, then won two of three against the Atlanta Braves to start their just-completed six-game road trip.

San Francisco defeated the Cleveland Guardians 4-2 on Friday and lost 5-4 on Saturday and Sunday to end the trip.

“I thought we played well. We’re in every game,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “But with a .500 trip, (we) would have liked to have done better.”

While the Giants are still three games below .500 at 44-47, their improved play of late can be attributed to the improved health of their starting staff. Kyle Harrison returned from an ankle injury to start Saturday in Cleveland, and now Snell (0-3, 9.51 ERA) will return after missing the past five weeks with a strained left groin.

The “comeback” start will be Snell’s third of the year. The first two didn’t go well.

After a late start to the season, having signed with the Giants late in spring training, Snell allowed three runs in three innings in his season debut, losing 8–1 to the Washington Nationals on April 8.

Snell later went on the injured list for 15 days on April 24 with a left adductor injury. He missed four weeks, but returned to serve up four runs in 3 1/3 innings in a 9-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 22. Snell played no part in the deciding game in that game.

Once again he was only fit for the starting line-up three times, this time with a groin injury that has kept him out since June 3.

Snell, who played in the same division as the Blue Jays while with the Tampa Bay Rays, has played 14 games against Toronto in his career, posting a 4-4 record and a 2.74 ERA.

This comeback will be against a team that also happened to have a pair of 5-4 games over the weekend. In the case of the Blue Jays, they won both in Seattle, escaping with a 2-1 series win to start a nine-game Western swing.

Toronto now has someone with whom Snell will be completely unfamiliar after promoting one of its top prospects — 23-year-old Leo Jimenez — last week. The middle infielder has two hits, a walk and a hit by pitch to show for six major-league plate appearances thus far.

“He was an on-base machine in the minor leagues,” said Isiah Kiner-Falefa, whose sprained left knee opened the door for promotion. “Hopefully he can get going quickly and get some results, and from those results build that confidence and have a great career.”

The Blue Jays have selected left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (4’11”, 9’11”) to start the season opener.

Kikuchi made just one appearance against San Francisco, finishing with a no-decision after giving up three runs and six hits in six innings on April 2, 2021. He struck out 10 batters in that game.

–Field level media

When is the next San Francisco Giants game?

  • Tuesday July 9 – Thursday July 11 – against Toronto Blue Jays
  • Friday July 12 – Sunday July 14 – against Minnesota Twins
  • Monday July 15 – Thursday July 18 – MLB All-Star Break
  • Monday July 15 – Home Run Derby
  • Tuesday July 16 – MLB All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas
  • Friday July 19 – Sunday July 21 – @ Colorado Rockies

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