Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cincinnati Reds: Odds, Prediction
Toronto heads out on a tough six-game road trip starting Friday as they visit Joey Votto and the surprising Cincinnati Reds. With Jose Berrios on the hill, the Blue Jays are -160 favourites on the MLB odds.
Betting Analysis
This is arguably the toughest trip the Jays have left as Cincinnati is battling for the NL Central title/or a wild card spot and then Toronto goes to Baltimore for three, and the Orioles lead the AL East.
The Reds were projected to be one of the NL’s worst teams this year, and they weren’t very good until touted infield prospect Elly De La Cruz made his MLB debut June 6. That changed everything, and he looks like a future NL MVP. The Reds are a really, really young team and they are going to be really, really good in a year or two if they find the right pitching. Their lineup is loaded with good-looking young hitters like De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, Matt McLain, Jonathan India and others. Reds rookies have produced 44 homers. The franchise record for such in a season is 54.
Toronto leads the all-time series 14-7 and 5-4 at Great American Ball Park, where the Jays haven’t been since 2014.
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto is 24-13 in interleague play this year. All-Star closer Jordan Romano was activated off the injured list Tuesday and immediately had a save vs. the Phillies. Third baseman Matt Chapman hasn’t played since Saturday due to inflammation in his right middle finger. Outfielder Kevin Kiermaier (elbow) is expected to be activated from the injured list Friday. All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette might be. Bichette was supposed to begin his minor-league rehab assignment with Buffalo on Tuesday but it was postponed. Not clear if that might push his activation back one day. It’s right-hander Jose Berrios (9-8, 3.53) on the mound. He was not good last Friday at home vs. the Cubs, allowing six runs (four earned) over 4.1 innings of a loss. Berrios is 5-4 with a 3.89 ERA on the road this year. He has faced the Reds twice career but not since 2020 with Minnesota and is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds are trying to become the first team ever to win a division after losing at least 100 games the season before (62-100 in 2022), but they are in a stretch with just four wins in the past 14 games. The hitting has quieted down a bit, and the starting pitching and bullpen remain problems most nights. A division title seems unlikely. Toronto native and former NL MVP Joey Votto is no longer the face of the franchise at age 39 but still a contributor and certainly the leader of the team. He is 17-for-67 with five doublers and four homers in 18 career games against his childhood club. The Reds hold a $20 million club option on him for next season. They will not be picking that up. Votto has not made any definitive retirement plans, either. He probably gets into the Hall of Fame eventually. To expand upon the Reds’ pitching issues, they start journeyman Brett Kennedy here. The 29-year-old has a 6.42 ERA in 33.2 big-league innings – 26.2 IP in 2018 with San Diego and 7.0 IP this year.
TOR
CIN