Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Odds, Prediction
Betting Analysis
This could be a wild card round preview … or the Blue Jays could miss the postseason entirely. Tampa Bay is in the playoffs for a fifth straight season but still looking for the first World Series title in franchise history. The Rays still have a shot at the AL East title but most likely will be the Junior Circuit’s top Wild Card team (they can’t fall lower) and would host the No. 2 WC club in the first round. That may well be Toronto but also could be Houston, Seattle or Texas.
Will the Rays win the 2023 World Series? Doubtful. They have been absolutely destroyed by injuries in the rotation and arguably their best everyday player, 22-year-old All-Star shortstop Wander Franco, is not expected to play again this season or maybe for a long while due to some off-field issues in his native Dominican Republic. It’s really a testament to how well the Rays are run that they are still this good.
Tampa Bay leads the season series 4-3 and 3-1 at Tropicana Field.
Toronto Blue Jays
Clearly the big storyline is the status of Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He didn’t start Wednesday or Thursday at the Yankees with a sore right knee, but an MRI showed no structural damage and he did pinch-hit Thursday. Maybe that’s an IL stint early in the season to be cautious but not right now. He likely plays on Friday.
Toronto’s five-game winning streak was snapped in Thursday’s 5-3 loss and is a half-game ahead of Texas and Seattle (who start a huge series Friday as well) for the second of three AL wild card spots. It’s right-hander Chris Bassitt (14-8, 3.78) on the mound for the Jays Friday evening. He comes off a no-decision vs. Boston, allowing two runs over seven. Bassitt hasn’t been quite the same guy on the road with a 4.64 ERA (but a 7-4 record). His lone 2023 start vs. the Rays was on May 22 in Florida, and he took the loss, giving up six runs (two earned) over 6.1 innings. In four career appearances vs. Tampa Bay spanning 22 innings, he has a 2.45 ERA. Randy Arozarena is 2-for-6 off him with a double and homer.
Tampa Bay Rays
The last thing the Rays need is another injury, but outfielder Luke Raley hasn’t started a game in a week and may go on the injured list with a neck issue. He’s hitting .249 with 19 homers, 49 RBIs and 14 steals. Then in Thursday’s matinee against the Angels, in which the Rays rallied in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win, infielder Brandon Lowe left with an apparent knee injury. He entered hitting .232 with 21 HRs and 68 RBIs. Excellent reliever Jason Adam (oblique) was activated from the 15-day injured list Thursday but wasn’t used. Highly touted infield prospect Junior Caminero has been called up for the series.
On the mound Friday is right-hander Tyler Glasnow (9-6, 3.53 ERA), who missed most of 2022 off Tommy John surgery. He comes off back-to-back shaky outings but those were on the road and Glasnow is 4-2 with a 2.81 ERA and .164 opponents’ batting average in nine home starts. He has not faced Toronto this year but is a brutal 0-3 with a 6.88 ERA in eight career starts against them. That’s Glasnow’s highest career ERA vs. an AL team. George Springer is 5-for-10 off him with a homer.
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