Blue Jays vs. Phillies: MLB Prediction, Baseball Odds
The struggling Toronto Blue Jays open a nine-game road trip Friday with the first of three interleague matchups at the surprising Philadelphia Phillies.
Betting Analysis
Might be a good thing that the Blue Jays are leaving Rogers Centre for a while. Their 8-1 loss Thursday to the Los Angeles Angels was Toronto’s 10 home defeat in the past 13 games. Toronto hasn’t won a home series since April 17-18 vs. Kansas City and is now 12-17 at home compared to 11-10 on the road.
The Blue Jays are set to start journeyman right-hander Sam Gaviglio on Friday. Despite being 28 years old, he’s in just his second season after splitting time last year with the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners. He was traded by the Royals late in 2018 spring training to the Blue Jays for a player to be named. Gaviglio took Jaime Garcia’s rotation spot when Garcia went on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. Garcia hadn’t been great regardless with a 2-3 record and 6.28 ERA. Gaviglio (1-0, 0.93 ERA) will have to pitch well to keep his spot and he did last Saturday vs. Oakland, shutting out the A’s on six hits over 5.1 innings in a no-decision. His previous two appearances this season were both in relief vs. Boston. This will be his first road outing.
Philadelphia’s Zach Elfin (1-0, 1.56) also is a new addition to the rotation, making three starts since a late April call-up from Triple-A to take the spot of an injured Ben Lively. Elfin threw quality starts his first two times to the mound, taking a no-decision at the Marlins and a win over the Giants. He also pitched last Saturday and took a no-decision in allowing four runs (two earned) in 4.2 innings in St. Louis.
Toronto Blue Jays
A few Blue Jays have faced Elfin because he was bombed for nine runs in just 2.2 innings on June 14, 2016, in Toronto. That was Elfin’s major-league debut, and at the time the eight earned runs were the most allowed by a Phillies rookie since Gavin Floyd also gave up eight against the Mets on April 19, 2005. Josh Donaldson hit a grand slam off Elfin, and Kevin Pillar also homered. Curtis Granderson faced Elfin while Granderson was with the Mets and was 3-for-5 with a double and two home runs. Toronto will lose the DH for this MLB matchup in the NL park.
Philadelphia Phillies
No Phillies have faced Gaviglio in a regular-season game. Philadelphia enters this series having alternated wins and losses over its past seven (coming off a win). It took two of three at home vs. NL East-leading Atlanta to open this week. The Phillies are right on the Braves’ tail in the division – most experts concur that both clubs are a year ahead of time in terms of returning to playoff contention. Philadelphia has been an excellent home team this year at 18-7. Odubel Herrera is having a breakout season in hitting .343, which is second in the National League. Big-ticket free-agent addition Carlos Santana has eight homers and 30 RBIs but is hitting only .202. The Phillies have won four of their past five series openers.
