The Tampa Bay Rays (24-22) travel to face off against the Toronto Blue Jays (19-24) on Saturday, May 18th. This game will be played at Rogers Centre in Toronto and televised on BSSUN. 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 Rays. First pitch is set for 3:07 ET.
Rays vs Blue Jays
Tampa Bay picked up a 4-3 road win over the Blue Jays in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had a three-run 6th inning and scored the game’s go-ahead run in the 8th. As for the Blue Jays, they scored all three of their runs in the 8th and had the tying run on base in the 9th.
Chris Bassitt got the start for the Blue Jays, going 5 2/3 innings while giving up three runs and striking out five. He took the loss in the game. Tyler Alexander put together a good outing for the Rays, getting the win after going 7 1/3 innings and giving up three earned runs.
Richie Palacios and Yandy Diaz each homered for the Rays, while Jonny DeLuca scored twice and drove in a run while going 2/4. Davis Schneider hit the game’s only other home run for the Blue Jays.
The Rays are on a three-game winning streak, and they are seven games behind the Yankees in the AL East. So far, they are 8-7 in the division and have an overall record of 24-22. Tampa Bay is winning the series vs. the Blue Jays and has an overall series record of 6-6-2 this year.
At home, the Rays have gone 14-12 this year, and they are an even 10-10 on the road. As the road underdog, the Rays are 5-4 this season, and they have won three straight as the road underdog. As the favorite, Tampa Bay is 15-15 this year.
When the Rays win, they tend to win big, with an average run margin of +2.5. However, when they lose, they lose by an average of -3.9 runs. Their overall run line record is 21-25, but they have been a good bet on the road, going 11-9 against the run line. They have covered the run line in five straight road games and have been a good bet as the underdog, going 11-5 against the run line in those games.
The Tampa Bay Rays have played in 36 games with over/under lines higher than 7.5 runs this season, and their games have averaged 8.9 runs per game. Their over/under record for the season is 24-21, and when the over/under line has been set at 7.5 runs, they are 6-3 in those games.
Zach Eflin Gets The Start For The Rays
Zach Eflin gets the start for the Rays today and comes in with a record of 3-4 and an ERA of 3.91. So far, he has made four quality starts and is averaging 6.96 strikeouts per nine innings. Eflin’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.13. In his last outing, he went five innings and got the win, giving up three earned runs on six hits. Before that, he had lost two straight starts. Eflin’s ERA on the road is 5.03, compared to 3.06 at home.
Rays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Rays offense has been pretty average in most categories, as they are 19th in runs per game (4.2), and have a team batting average of .242, which is 11th in the league. They have been striking out a lot, as their team strikeout rate is 24th in the league. The Rays have been good at putting the ball in play, as their team BABIP is 6th in the league.
Isaac Paredes has been a big bright spot for the Rays this season, as he is batting .303 and is tied for the team lead with 8 home runs. Over his last seven games, he has gone 7/28 with two homers. Randy Arozarena is also tied for the team lead in homers but is batting just .161 for the season. However, he has gone 7/28 in his last seven games.
The Blue Jays are 19-24 overall, putting them 5th in the AL East, 10.5 games behind the Yankees for the division lead. So far, they are 6-7 in AL East matchups. Toronto is looking to snap a two-game losing streak today, and they dropped the series opener vs. the Rays.
At home, the Blue Jays are 9-10 this year compared to 10-14 on the road. As the favorite, Toronto is 14-11 and 5-13 as the underdog. They have dropped two straight at home, and their overall series record is 4-7-3 this year. So far, they have gone 4-6 over their last 10 games.
When the Blue Jays win, they tend to do so by a comfortable margin, as their average run differential in victories is +2.7. However, they’ve been outscored by an average of 1.1 runs per game this season, leading to a run line record of 19-24. That includes a mark of 7-12 at home, where they have failed to cover the run line in each of their last two games.
Today’s over/under line of 7.5 runs is the lowest of the season for the Blue Jays, who have seen their games average 8.3 runs per contest. Toronto has gone under in four straight games and is 4-5 on the season when the line is set at 7.5 runs. Overall, the Blue Jays are 17-25 on the over/under for the season.
Kevin Gausman Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Kevin Gausman gets the start for the Blue Jays today vs. the Rays and comes into the game with a record of 2-3 and ERA of 4.95. In his eight starts, Gausman has made two quality starts and is averaging 9.17 strikeouts per nine innings. Gausman’s most recent outing came vs. the Twins, where he finished with a no-decision after giving up six earned runs in three innings of work. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts. The right-hander has an ERA of 8.96 on the road compared to 8.95 at home.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
Over his last 10 games, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been on fire for the Blue Jays, going 15/39 with six runs and eight RBIs. For the season, he is batting .268 with four homers, which is 10th in the league and 3rd on the team. Daulton Varsho and Davis Schneider are also near the top of the Blue Jays’ home run leaderboard, with seven and five homers, respectively.
Bo Bichette has been swinging a hot bat for the Blue Jays, going 11/38 in his last 10 games. Danny Jansen is also coming off a good stretch, going 9/27 in his last nine games. However, Varsho has struggled of late, going just 6/36 in his last nine games.
Rays vs Blue Jays Prediction
Our pick for today’s Rays vs. Blue Jays matchup is to take the Blue Jays on the money line at -135. We actually have the Blue Jays winning this one by a score of 6-5, so you could also look to take the over, as the line is sitting at 7.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Kevin Gausman finishing with six strikeouts, which is the fifth-best among all starters today. As for Zach Eflin, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which ranks him 16th.
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 18, 2024 Blue Jays, Rays