Toronto Blue Jays vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: Odds, Prediction
Toronto is a short underdog, though, on the MLB odds against Bucs ace and NL Cy Young favourite Paul Skenes. The total is only 7.
Jays vs. Pirates Aug 18th Betting Analysis
If you are one of those types of fan who wants to see as many MLB parks as possible, it can’t be more highly recommended to visit Pittsburgh’s PNC Park – quite likely the most picturesque venue in the sport. It’s just such a shame that team ownership rarely will step up to the plate and give those fans a winning club.
Sitting last in the NL Central, this will mark a 10th straight season missing the playoffs and seventh in a row with a losing record. Manager Derek Shelton was fired after a 12-26 mark this year and replaced on an interim basis by Don Kelly, who was the bench coach. The team has played fairly better under Kelly so he might get the full-time job. Ownership certainly isn’t going to go out and spend many millions of dollars on some big-name manager with a World Series ring or two.
This job would have some intrigue because the Pirates have two young franchise cornerstones already in place in electric outfielder Oneil Cruz and ace righty Paul Skenes. He’s already on an all-timer track in Year 2 and appears to be a multiple-time future NL Cy Young Award winner if he stays healthy. The No. 1 overall pick 2023 MLB Draft out of LSU won’t hit unrestricted free agency until after the 2029 season when Skenes will be 27 years old and may well command the biggest pitching contract in history.
Toronto took two of three at home last year vs. Pittsburgh and swept three at PNC Park in the last visit there in 2023. Overall, the Jays lead the series 16-8.
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto had a chance to sweep visiting Texas on Sunday but had a three-game winning streak snapped as Jose Berrios just didn’t have it. In his second game back off the concussion injured list, George Springer hit a two-run homer. Right-hander Kevin Gausman (8-9, 3.79 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound tonight. He was a tough-luck home loser last Wednesday vs. the Cubs, allowing two earned and just three hits over seven innings but the offence was no help. It marked Gausman’s fifth start in a row of at least six innings, and he’s given up two runs or fewer in four of those.
On the road this year, he’s 4-5 despite a solid 3.48 ERA and spectacular .181 opponents’ batting average against. The 34-year-old is 1-3 with a 5.74 ERA in 10 career appearances (eight starts) vs. Pittsburgh. The Bucs’ Tommy Pham (8-for-22, 2B, HR) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (6-for-14, 2 HR, 2B) have had some success vs. Gausman. Toronto is 9-3 in its last 12 games vs. National League teams.
Pittsburgh Pirates
In baseball parlance, a rare five-tool superstar is one who has the ability to hit for average and hit for power along with plus speed, arm strength and fielding ability. Not many guys in MLB truly have all those. Pittsburgh’s 26-year-old center fielder Oneil Cruz has the potential to be one, but has yet to learn to hit for a high average. And, frankly, stay, healthy. Cruz is on the concussion injured list so not clear if will be activated off by the end of the series. It apparently won’t be Monday. The Pirates don’t draw that well most nights because of their record, but they will Monday with one of the biggest drawing cards in the majors on the mound in second-year righty Paul Skenes (7-9, 2.13 ERA).
The 23-year-old is the -450 NL Cy Young favourite despite that losing record as it’s not on Skenes that the Pirates give him some of the worst run support in the majors. The is a soft workload innings cap on Skenes, and the Pirates might be very strict going forward as he has now allowed four earned runs in two of his past three starts. That’s very uncharacteristic. Skenes could be a five-inning guy the rest of 2025 unless his pitch count is extremely low. It will be his first career look at Toronto. Skenes has a 1.65 ERA in 12 career interleague starts. Pittsburgh has lost seven straight at home vs. the Blue Jays. So the Pirates are due.
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