Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox: Odds, Prediction
After a much-needed off day Monday, the Toronto Blue Jays open a three-game series in Boston on Tuesday night. The Jays are -153 favourites to win on the MLB odds.
Betting Analysis
This will be Toronto’s final series in Boston this season; the Red Sox visit Rogers Centre for a three-game set from Sept. 30-Oct. 2 and likely will be eliminated from playoff contention by then. Boston just has too many starting pitching issues, especially with Chris Sale done for the season, to stay in the Wild Card race that deep in the season. Boston was really weird at the Trade Deadline because it both subtracted (Christian Vazquez, Jake Diekman) and added (Tommy Pham, Eric Hosmer).
Toronto is 10-3 against Boston this season and 5-1 at Fenway Park – the Jays haven’t won more than five road games in a season series against the Red Sox since 2016, which was also the last time Toronto won double-digit games overall in the series. Teoscar Hernandez is hitting .476 vs. Boston pitching this year with a homer and four RBIs, and Alejandro Kirk .419. Matt Chapman and George Springer each have three homers.
The traded Vazquez was a .387 hitter with two homers and three RBIs vs. Blue Jays pitching this year while with Boston. Jackie Bradley had two homers … but was released not too long ago and signed with Toronto.
Toronto Blue Jays
Will centre fielder and leadoff hitter Springer be able to start Tuesday? He hasn’t started the past three with a sore knee but did pinch hit at Yankee Stadium on Sunday before being lifted for a pinch runner. Springer was 5-for-5 the last time he started a game. Whit Merrifield hit a solo homer in Sunday’s loss, his first dinger with the Blue Jays and his first homer since playing for Kansas City on Aug. 1 at the White Sox. Bradley has three RBIs in his last two starts after collecting four RBIs in his previous 20 games.
It’s right-hander Ross Stripling (5-3, 2.93 ERA) on the mound Tuesday. He was perfect for six innings last time out vs. Baltimore and ended up allowing one hit with seven Ks in 6.1 innings in his return from injury. He is 0-0 with a 3.21 ERA in three starts this year vs. Boston. Xander Bogaerts is 6-for-13 with a double and homer off him. JD Martinez is 2-for-14 with six strikeouts. Toronto is 9-1 in its past 10 following an off day.
Boston Red Sox
First baseman Hosmer, a trade acquisition from San Diego, missed Boston’s game Sunday night with lower back tightness and may get Tuesday off as well considering he’s only 1-for-16 off Toronto’s Stripling. The Sox were hoping that Nathan Eovaldi could make his scheduled start on the mound Tuesday, but he won’t be able to as the right-hander deals with shoulder and neck issues.
Rookie right-hander Josh Winckowski (5-6, 5.19 ERA) is on the mound for Boston. He pitched last Thursday in Pittsburgh and was knocked around for six runs in five innings and then sent down but will be called right back up. The 24-year-old hasn’t faced Toronto. Sox closer Tanner Houck remains out with a disc issue in his back. The Sox are 8-3 in their past 11 following an off day.
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