Blue Jays vs Cubs Preview: Week 65 Showdown on the North Side

Chicago just demolished Toronto 16-2 on Friday night. The Cubs didn't wait around—they scored seven runs in the first inning alone. Kelly smacked a bomb over left center field. Bregman, Suzuki, and the whole lineup kept pounding the ball. Toronto's pitchers couldn't stop the onslaught. Now the Blue Jays need to show some fire on Saturday. They've got to bounce back quick or this series gets away from them. Can Patrick Corbin settle things down for Toronto? That's the big question heading into game two.

Wait—Patrick Corbin takes the mound for Toronto on Saturday. Colin Rea pitches for the Cubs. Here's the thing about Rea: he's had a rough season. His ERA sits at 10.26, which means runs are scoring way too fast off his arm. He's 0-2 with eight strikeouts this year. That's not the stat line you want going into a big game. Toronto could get aggressive early. But Chicago's bats are scorching hot right now. The Cubs will look to keep that momentum rolling against Corbin and Toronto's pitching staff.

Toronto's record sits at 37-39. They're struggling a bit, but they've got talent. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. finally broke through with a home run recently—his first since May 17. That's good news for the Blue Jays' power. Chicago stands at 40-36 and they're riding a two-game winning streak. Their lineup just put on a hitting clinic on Friday. Suzuki, Kelly, Bregman, and Crow-Armstrong all went deep or had huge hits. Toronto needs its own stars to answer back. Springer homered on Friday too. Saturday's game could come down to who swings the hottest bats.