Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays: Odds, Prediction
The defending World Series champion Texas Rangers make their only visit of the season to Rogers Centre starting Friday night to open a three-game weekend series as the Jays conclude a long homestand. Toronto is a -125 favourite on the MLB odds.
Betting Analysis
While the Blue Jays have essentially given up on the 2024 season, they still plan to contend for a playoff spot next year and that’s why they don’t plan to trade anyone who could help next year. The Texas Rangers are proof you can make a jump from losing record to World Series champion in just one year as they won just 68 games in 2022 but then the franchise’s first title in 2023.
Texas has taken a step back so far this year but also hasn’t had its full rotation yet due to injury with three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer having made only seven starts and two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom none. DeGrom might not debut off Tommy John surgery until late next month. The Rangers are an interesting team to monitor ahead of next week’s trade deadline as they could either buy or sell or maybe some of both.
Toronto will visit Arlington, which also happened to host this year’s All-Star Game, for three games from Sept. 17-19. The Blue Jays had tied or won nine straight season series against the Rangers before losing six of seven in 2023, including all four games at Rogers Centre by at least three runs each. The Rangers outscored Toronto 35-9.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers were blown out at home in their first two games out of the break and it looked as if a return to the playoffs was doubtful, but the team has won five straight since – tying a season-high run. Let’s just say the Rangers picked a really good time to host the putrid Chicago White Sox in a four-game series to start this week. One key reliever, right-hander David Robertson, had a two-inning save on Thursday and thus likely isn’t available tonight.
Veteran lefty Andrew Heaney (4-10, 3.60 ERA) is scheduled on the mound. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 14 consecutive starts and blanked a good Orioles lineup over five innings last time out. Heaney has received two or fewer runs of support in 11 of his last 15 starts and 13 of his 19 overall this year. He is 2-1 with a 6.55 ERA in 22 career innings against the Jays and 1-0 with a 4.66 ERA in 9.2 innings at Rogers Centre. He hasn’t pitched there since April 2021 while with the Angels. Texas is 22-29 on the road and 8-8-0 in away series. All four times the Rangers have been swept this year have come on the road.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have gone 1-2 in both home series out of the break and were embarrassed Thursday in a 13-0 whitewashing by Tampa Bay. Toronto had two hits. It was such a rout that infielder Ernie Clement pitched the ninth inning for the Blue Jays, who are now 6-8-2 in home series.
Tonight almost surely will be the last start in a Jays uniform for lefty Yusei Kikuchi as he is in the final year of his contract and fully expected to be traded by next week’s deadline. Kikuchi (4-9, 4.54 ERA) has not exactly helped his value of late, allowing 11 runs over 9.2 innings in his past two starts. The 33-year-old hasn’t personally won since June 11 in Milwaukee. Kikuchi is 3-1 with a 4.91 ERA in 25.2 career innings against the Rangers. Former Blue Jay Marcus Semien has seen him the most of any Texas batter, going 6-for-28 with a homer and double. The Jays have lost seven straight Friday games.
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