Patrick Corbin takes the mound for Toronto on Saturday afternoon, with the Blue Jays trying to keep their early momentum going against Pittsburgh and prized starter Paul Skenes. The game is set for 3:07 PM EST after Toronto opened the series with a win on Friday.
Corbin will be asked to steady a club that has begun to look more like itself after a rough start to the season. Toronto entered Saturday on a three-game winning streak, and the matchup gives it a chance to build on that run while facing one of the more watched pitchers in the game.
For Corbin, the outing is also a chance to halt a two-game stretch in which he has allowed three runs. In his last start against the New York Yankees, he worked 4.0 innings, walked three, struck out three and gave up one home run. He carries a 4.23 ERA into this one.
The Blue Jays’ lineup around him includes George Springer, Daulton Varsho, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Yohendrick Pinango, Jesus Sanchez, Ernie Clement, Andrés Giménez, Lenyn Sosa and Tyler Heineman. That group will try to support Corbin against a Pirates team sending Skenes to the mound in Toronto.
The contrast is clear enough. Toronto is playing better baseball than it was in April, and a home win over Pittsburgh on Saturday would push that trend forward against a high-profile opponent. Corbin does not need to dominate for that to happen, but he does need to keep the game from turning quickly in Pittsburgh’s favor.
What happens next is straightforward: Corbin gets the ball, Skenes waits on the other side, and the Blue Jays get another chance to see whether this improved stretch can hold up against elite pitching.
