Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox: Odds, Prediction
The slumping Toronto Blue Jays open a six-game road trip on the U.S. East Coast on Friday night by visiting the red-hot Red Sox in an AL East affair. Boston is -125 on the MLB odds with a total of 8.5 runs.
MLB Betting Odds and Trends
Is Toronto catching Boston at the best or worst time? I subscribe to the theory that it’s a great time to catch a team right after a long winning streak has ended because there tends to be a flat spot for a while. That’s where the Red Sox are. They had a franchise record-tying 15-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in losing the second game of a home doubleheader to Baltimore.
But that winning streak completely upended the trade market. It was thought the Red Sox would be sellers with All-Stars in first baseman Willson Contreras, starting pitcher Sonny Gray and closer Aroldis Chapman all very available even two weeks ago. That has changed completely with this streak, and Boston now in the AL Wild-Card mix. So if anything, the Red Sox might buy.
After this three-game set, the teams will play a four-game set at Rogers Centre from Aug. 10-13 to close the season series. Toronto leads it 5-1, including sweeping three at historic Fenway Park from April 27-29, but the Red Sox were a lot different team then. Vladimir Guerrero is hitting .381 vs. Boston pitching this year with a double, homer, four runs scored and four RBI. But Ernie Clement is only 2-for-24 with four strikeouts.
Toronto Blue Jays
Maybe it’s time to just recognize the fact that the Blue Jays are not returning to the playoffs, and it’s time to trade some guys for prospects. The team is 2-5 out of the break and not hitting at all even with avoiding a home sweep to Tampa Bay on Thursday. Thing is, Louis Varland got the save but pitched a second game in a row so probably not available Friday.
George Springer stayed hot in going 2-for-3 and is batting .364 with five RBI since the break. But the Jays are just not hitting this year as their average exit velocity as a team ranks 29th in baseball, ahead of only the Rockies.
It’s rookie righty Trey Yesavage (4-5, 3.78 ERA) on the mound. Toronto has lost his past three, although he had a quality start in two of those. In two starts this year vs. the Red Sox, Yesavage is 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA and .178 opponents’ batting average in 12.2 innings. The Jays are 3-13 in their past 16 vs. AL foes.
Boston Red Sox
With that epic 15-game winning streak ending and having played a doubleheader on Wednesday, the Red Sox likely welcomed having Thursday off – one advantage here as the bullpen has been reset. Boston is 20-3 since June 25 to get relevant again. The day before that run started, the Sox were 32-46 while trailing by 15.5 games in the AL East and six in the AL Wild-Card standings. Now they are 6.5 games back in the division and hold the AL’s last WC spot. Amazing.
It’s reclamation project Patrick Sandoval (0-0, 4.82 ERA) on the mound tonight. It’s only the third start of the season for the 29-year-old lefty, who is basically a place-holder for now. Boston has won both of Sandoval’s starts but he wasn’t very good the last one. George Springer has faced him the most of any Toronto batter and is 1-for-10. Boston is 6-1 in its past seven at home.
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