Wednesday night's interleague clash between the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers features a marquee pitching matchup with serious strikeout potential. All eyes will be on Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease, whose elite swing-and-miss stuff makes him a must-watch every time he takes the mound.
Cease, who leads all MLB pitchers in strikeouts over the last five seasons, is in a prime spot to dominate. He has historically owned the Brewers, surpassing tonight's 6.5 strikeout line in all four of his career starts against them, averaging a robust eight punchouts per outing. His devastating slider has been virtually unhittable this year, and Milwaukee's lineup has shown a notable vulnerability to that very pitch.
While Cease looks to silence Milwaukee's bats, the Blue Jays' offense is showing signs of life. Riding a hot streak with a .294 team average over their last five games, they face Brewers starter Chad Patrick. Toronto hitters have feasted on cutters this season, which happens to be Patrick's primary offering, setting the stage for the Jays to rack up hits.
One bat in particular demands attention: Daulton Varsho. The outfielder is scorching hot, with hits in five straight games and three home runs in his last five. This matchup is tailor-made for his power, as he crushed cutters for a .500 average last season. Betting on Varsho to stay hot and potentially go deep again is a compelling play for tonight's action.
