The Boston Red Sox (38-35) travel to face off against the Toronto Blue Jays (35-37) on Tuesday, June 18th. This game will be played at Rogers Centre in Toronto and televised on NESN. The Red Sox are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blue Jays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Red Sox. First pitch is set for 6:07 CT.
Red Sox vs Blue Jays
Boston cruised to a 7-3 win over the Blue Jays in the most recent game of this series. The Red Sox had a huge 1st inning, scoring two of their seven runs. As for the Blue Jays, they scored their first run in the 2nd and added their final two runs in the 7th.
Nick Pivetta got the win for the Red Sox, going seven innings and giving up three earned runs. Yusei Kikuchi had a rough outing for the Blue Jays, taking the loss after going just four innings and giving up five earned runs.
Offensively, the Red Sox were led by Tyler O’Neill, who homered twice and went 2/4 with two RBIs. Ceddanne Rafaela also had a two-hit game and drove in two runs. Rafael Devers and Romy Gonzalez each had two RBIs.
Boston is on a three-game winning streak, and they are 38-35 overall this season. The Red Sox will be on the road today, taking on the Blue Jays, and they trail the Yankees by 11.5 games in the AL East. So far, they are 8-9 in divisional games.
The Red Sox have won two straight games on the road, and they are 20-15 overall this season. As the road favorite, the Red Sox are 8-2 this year, and they are 19-14 as the favorite overall. Boston’s overall series record is 10-9-4, and they have won two straight series.
The Red Sox have been a profitable run line team on the road this season, going 21-14 against the run line away from Fenway Park. They have covered the run line in two straight road games and have a run line record of 35-38 overall. The average run margin in their wins is +4.6, while the average run margin in their losses is -3.7.
The Boston Red Sox are on the road against the Toronto Blue Jays today, and the over/under line is set at 8 runs. The Red Sox have a combined run average of 8.7 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 33-35. When the line is set at 8 runs, their over/under record is 6-5-2. The over has hit in three straight games for Boston.
Tanner Houck Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Tanner Houck has been outstanding for the Red Sox this season, coming into the game with a record of 7-5 and an ERA of 2.08. So far, he has made 14 starts and has one complete game shutout. Houck has turned in 12 quality starts this year and is averaging 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Houck went six innings, giving up three earned runs, and got the win. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Houck has been especially tough on the road, with a record of 4-2 and an ERA of 1.68 compared to 3-3 with a 2.55 ERA at home.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox are 9th in scoring, averaging 4.6 runs per contest. They have been even better on the road, putting up 5 runs per game. Overall, they are one of the league’s top home run hitting teams and are batting a collective .253, which is the 4th best mark in the MLB. One of the reasons for their strong offensive numbers is that they are the league’s top team in terms of batting average on balls in play, at .32.
Rafael Devers and Tyler O’Neill have been two of the Red Sox’s top power threats so far, with Devers leading the team with 14 homers and O’Neill right behind him with 14. Devers is also 2nd on the team with 38 RBIs and comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak. Ceddanne Rafaela and Tyler O’Neill have also been swinging the bat well of late, with Rafaela going 11/19 in his last five games and O’Neill having three homers in his last four games.
Toronto is 35-37 overall, putting them 4th in the AL East, 14 games behind the Yankees for the division lead. So far, they have gone just 9-11 in divisional games. The Blue Jays are coming off a loss to the Red Sox and have an overall series record of 9-10-4 this year.
At home, the Blue Jays are 18-17 this year compared to 17-20 on the road. So far, they have really struggled as the underdog, going just 6-18, which includes losing five straight as the underdog. As the favorite, the Blue Jays are 29-19 this year. Looking at their overall record, the Blue Jays are 5-5 in their last 10 games.
When the Blue Jays win, they do so by an average of 3.1 runs per game, which is why they are 33-39 against the run line this season. They are 21-16 against the run line on the road, where they have a scoring margin of -0.2 runs per game. At home, their scoring margin is -0.8 runs per game, and they are just 12-23 against the run line.
The Blue Jays have a combined run average of 8.3 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 31-39. When the over/under line has been set at 8 runs, their record is 10-10-1. The over has hit in two straight games for Toronto.
Chris Bassitt Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Right-hander Chris Bassitt gets the start for the Blue Jays today and comes in with a record of 6-6 and an ERA of 3.56. He has made 14 starts this year and has a WHIP of 1.40. Bassitt has turned in six quality starts this year and is averaging 8.62 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Bassitt went five innings, giving up no earned runs on five hits. He finished with a no-decision in the outing. Bassitt has not taken a loss since May 22. He has been solid at home, coming in with a record of 4-3 and an ERA of 5.87.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Blue Jays are averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 24th in the league. They have been even worse at home, averaging just 3.8 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .233, which is 17th in the league, and have the 21st ranked home run total in the league. One area they have been good is avoiding strikeouts, as they have the 2nd fewest strikeouts in the league.
Over the team’s last eight games, Davis Schneider has gone just 4/22, with two homers and four RBIs. For the season, he is batting just .225. Daulton Varsho is the team’s leader in RBIs, with 35, and has 11 homers, but is batting just .216. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak and is batting .284 for the season.
Red Sox vs Blue Jays Prediction
There are a few different ways you could look to play this game, but we are going to stick with a Blue Jays win and you can get them at +100. We actually have the Blue Jays winning this one 6-5, and with the payout, we feel this is the best way to go.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Chris Bassitt actually has the best odds to pick up a win today, and we have him finishing with five strikeouts. As for Tanner Houck, he is projected to finish with six K’s and has a good chance of picking up a win, but we have him going just six innings.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:June 18, 2024 Blue Jays, Red Sox