Game Thread #30: A's vs. Blue Jays

The Oakland A’s avoided a sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles last weekend, and now they’ll get a chance for a fresh start in a new series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Monday’s opener at the Coliseum brings the return of Marcus Semien, the longtime A’s shortstop who moved up north last winter to play second base for Toronto. He’s off to a solid start, but more in line with his 2016-18 baseline than his 2019 MVP-level breakout.

The top of the Blue Jays lineup (Biggio, Bichette, Guerrero) is like the days before the internet and global media, when other countries wouldn’t get American TV shows on their local networks until years later and vice versa. It’s like Canada just got the 1998 MLB season. Though the analogy breaks down since Vlad Sr was playing in Canada at that time.

The A’s turn to Frankie Montas on the mound, after the righty made a quality start against the Rays last time out.

A’s lineup (home)

1. DH Mark Canha (R)
2. CF Ramon Laureano (R)
3. C Sean Murphy (R)
4. 1B Matt Olson (L)
5. 3B Matt Chapman (R)
6. 2B Jed Lowrie (S)
7. RF Stephen Piscotty (R)
8. SS Elvis Andrus (R)
9. LF Tony Kemp (L)

• RHP Frankie Montas

Canha gets a half-day at DH after some tumbling catches in last night’s game.

Blue Jays lineup (away)

1. RF Cavan Biggio (L)
2. SS Bo Bichette (R)
3. 1B Vlad Guerrero Jr (R)
4. LF Teoscar Hernandez (R)
5. CF Randal Grichuk (R)
6. 2B Marcus Semien (R)
7. 3B Joe Panik (L)
8. DH Lourdes Gurriel Jr (R)
9. C Danny Jansen (R)

• LHP Steven Matz

Let’s Go Oakland!

How To Watch

• Date: Monday, May 3
• Time: 6:40 p.m. PT
• TV (local): NBC Sports California
• Radio: 960 AM (more listings here)
• Streaming (watch): NBCS website (with cable sub)
• Streaming (listen): A’s Cast