Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Odds, Prediction
It’s back on the road for the Toronto Blue Jays as they open a two-game series at AL East rival Tampa Bay on Tuesday to start a nine-game trip. The Jays should be short favourites on the MLB odds for the opener.
Betting Analysis
A reminder that Tuesday is the MLB Trade Deadline and it’s certainly possible both the Blue Jays and Rays make a move(s) before said deadline. More likely, though, they deal prospects for immediate help rather than subtracting from the big-league roster.
The Rays lead the season series 5-3 and are 2-1 at Tropicana Field, easily the worst stadium in MLB if not all of American sports. If Tampa Bay doesn’t get a resolution on a new stadium within the next year or so, the franchise could be headed elsewhere in a few more years – like perhaps Montreal.
Toronto is hitting .248 in the series with seven homers. Cavan Biggio is 6-for-13 with two doubles and three runs. Santiago Espinal is hitting .375 with a homer, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. .346 with a dinger. Teoscar Hernandez has gone yard twice. Matt Chapman is batting .043. The Rays are batting .266 in the season series with 10 homers. Yandy Diaz is 10-for-21 with a double and home run. Isaac Paredes has three homers and six RBIs.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays are 3-0 on the road post-All Star break. The team is a season-high-tying 12 games over .500 overall and has won 12 of 15. Toronto is 17-11-4 in series play. Chapman has homered four times in his past four games after hitting one Sunday vs. Detroit. His nine homers in July trailed only Aaron Judge’s 13 for the most in the American League. Chapman has driven in 22 runs since July 1, the most by a Blue Jay in a single month of July since Josh Donaldson’s 24 in 2015. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on a 12-game hitting streak and batting .426 in that span with six doubles, a homer and seven RBIs. Closer Jordan Romano set a career high by saving his AL-leading 24th game of the season Sunday.
It’s Kevin Gausman (7-8, 3.30 ERA) on the mound Tuesday. He struggled last time out in a loss to St. Louis in allowing five runs over 4.2 innings. Gausman has a 3.00 ERA in nine innings this year against the Rays. David Peralta is 6-for-20 off him with a double and three RBIs. Toronto is 8-0 in its past eight following an off day.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa did make one fairly significant trade over the weekend in landing outfielder Peralta from Arizona. He made his Rays debut Sunday vs. Cleveland and was 1-for-4. Overall, he’s batting .248 with 12 homers and 41 RBIs. Tampa Bay needed outfield help with both Manuel Margot and Kevin Kiermaier (he’s out for season) on the injured list. Young star shortstop Wander Franco is also on the IL.
It’s scheduled to be right-hander Drew Rasmussen (6-3, 3.17 ERA) on the mound Tuesday. He allowed three runs in 4.2 innings last time out in Baltimore but has been better at home with a 3-0 record and 2.09 ERA. Rasmussen has allowed two earned in 10.1 innings this year vs. Toronto. Gurriel is 2-for-7 off him with a homer – the only Blue Jay to have gone yard vs. Rasmussen. Tampa Bay is 4-10 in its past 14 series openers.
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