The Tampa Bay Rays (23-22) travel to face off against the Toronto Blue Jays (19-23) on Friday, May 17th. This game will be played at Rogers Centre in Toronto and televised on APLTV. The Rays 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 Orioles. First pitch is set for 7:07 ET.
Rays vs Blue Jays
The Rays’s offense was carried by Josh Lowe in their most recent game vs. the Red Sox. Lowe went only 1/4, but his one hit was a home run, and he drove in two runs. The Rays scored seven runs on eight hits and issued only one walk. Tampa Bay was the slight favorite at -110 on the money line going into the game.
Zack Littell got the start for the Rays, going five innings and giving up four earned runs on seven hits. He only had three strikeouts in the outing and took the loss.
Tampa Bay is 23-22 overall and trails the Yankees by seven games in the AL East. The Rays are 3rd in the division and have gone 7-7 in divisional games. They have won two straight games, closing out their series vs. the Red Sox with two wins.
At home, the Rays are 14-12 this year and 9-10 on the road. So far, they are an even 15-15 as the favorite and 8-7 as the underdog. Tampa Bay’s overall series record is 6-6-2 this year.
The Rays are 20-25 against the run line this season, but they have covered in four straight games and are 10-9 on the road. They are 10-5 against the run line as an underdog this season.
The Tampa Bay Rays have had a combined run average of 8.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 24-20. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, their record is 7-10. Overall, the average over/under line for their games has been 8 runs, and they have had 6 games with over/under lines set at 8.5 runs.
Tyler Alexander Gets The Start For The Rays
Tyler Alexander gets the start for the Rays today as he faces the Blue Jays on the road. So far this season, he has made five starts and eight total appearances. Alexander’s record for the season is 1-2, and he has an ERA of 5.45. In his 39 2/3 innings of work, he has a WHIP of 1.36 and is averaging 7.49 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents have hit .268 off Alexander this season. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up six earned runs in seven innings of work. Before that, he had given up two earned runs or fewer in three straight outings.
Rays Offense Breakdown
Over his last eight games, Isaac Paredes has gone 12/31 (.387) with two runs and six RBIs. Paredes is currently leading the Rays in batting average at .305 and has gone deep eight times this season, which is 6th best in the league. Randy Arozarena is also 6th in the league in homers but is batting just .159 for the season and has gone 7/35 in his last nine games.
As a team, the Rays are 19th in scoring at 4.2 runs per game. At home, they are averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 14th best in the league. Overall, they are batting .242, which is 12th in the MLB.
The Blue Jays will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Orioles with a 3-2 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 9th inning before the Orioles scored two runs in the bottom of the 9th. Toronto was the +116 underdog on the road going into this game.
Yusei Kikuchi was excellent for the Blue Jays, going 4 1/3 innings and giving up just one earned run while striking out nine. However, the Blue Jays couldn’t close things out, and Jordan Romano took the loss out of the bullpen. The Blue Jays also wasted a big game from Bo Bichette, who went 2/3 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored.
With a record of 19-23, the Blue Jays are 5th in the AL East, trailing the Yankees by 9.5 games. So far, they are 6-6 in divisional matchups. At home, the Blue Jays are 9-9 this year and 10-14 on the road.
Toronto has been the favorite in 24 of their games, and they have gone 14-10 in those matchups. As for their games as the underdog, they are just 5-13. The Blue Jays’ overall series record is 4-7-3, and they have dropped three straight series at home.
The Blue Jays have a run line record of 19-23 on the season, with a run differential of -1.1 runs per game. They are 7-11 against the run line at home, and 12-12 on the road. Toronto has an average run differential of -1.1 runs per game, and they are 12-12 against the run line as the favorite and 7-11 as the underdog.
The Blue Jays have gone under the total in three straight games, and their games have averaged 8.4 runs per game this season. The over/under record for the Blue Jays is 17-24 on the season, and they have gone 6-9 in games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs. The Blue Jays have played in five games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs this season, and the over/under line for their games has averaged 8 runs per game.
Chris Bassitt Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Chris Bassitt will be looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win vs. the Phillies. In that start, he went 6 1/3 innings, giving up just two earned runs. Looking at his overall numbers, Bassitt has made eight starts and has a record of 3-5. His ERA for the season is 5.06, along with a WHIP of 1.55. Opposing batters are hitting .272 off Bassitt this year. The right-hander has made four quality starts and is averaging 8.44 strikeouts per nine innings. For the season, Bassitt has allowed six homers and is averaging 4.22 walks per nine innings.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
Over the Blue Jays’ last seven games, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been on fire, going 12/26 (.462) with four runs scored and four RBIs. Bo Bichette is also swinging a hot bat right now, going 10/27 in his last seven games, including one homer and four RBIs. Bichette also has a six-game hitting streak coming into today’s game. As a team, the Blue Jays are batting just .229 this season and are 28th in the league in runs scored at 3.6 per game.
Currently, the Blue Jays have three players tied for the team lead in home runs, with Daulton Varsho, Davis Schneider, and Danny Jansen all having four homers this season. Varsho is batting just .208 for the season and is just 2/24 in his last six games. Jansen is hitting .298 for the season and has gone 6/20 in his last six games.
Rays vs Blue Jays Prediction
Our prediction for the Blue Jays vs. Rays matchup is to take the over, with the over/under line sitting at 8.5 runs. Our predicted final score is 7-6 in favor of the Blue Jays, giving us some room to spare when taking the over.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Chris Bassitt finishing with six strikeouts compared to Tyler Alexander with five. However, we have Bassitt finishing with a higher strikeout total, as well as picking up the win, making him a solid option in fantasy.
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:May 17, 2024 Blue Jays, Rays