The Houston Astros are playing for the first time this season while the Toronto Blue Jays are coming off a win. The Blue Jays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Astros are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rays. First pitch is set for 8:10 ET.
Blue Jays vs Astros
The Blue Jays Are Coming Off A Win
After a 9-2 win over the Rays, the Blue Jays are slight favorites in the second game of the series. Toronto scored two runs in the first and second innings and then added three more in the fifth. The Blue Jays hit two homers and had seven singles.
Kevin Gausman got the start for Toronto, going 4 1/3 innings and giving up two hits and one earned run. Mitch White got the win in relief. Justin Turner had a big game at the plate, going 3/4 with a homer and four RBIs.
Bowden Francis Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Bowden Francis is coming off a season in which he made 19 appearances but did not start a game. His record for the year was 1-0, and his ERA was 1.73. Francis’ WHIP was .83, and he allowed a batting average of .175. His on-base percentage allowed was .226, and his slugging percentage allowed was .317. When it comes to home runs allowed, Francis gave up five for the season. His FIP for the year was 3.86, and his OPS allowed was .543. For the season, Francis averaged 4.4 strikeouts per walk and 0.4 walks per game.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
Looking at the Blue Jays’ player projections for today, Bo Bichette is not only our top projected hitter on the team, but he has the best overall hits projection in today’s entire league. Justin Turner’s hits projection is also in the top 15 in the league, and he has the top home run projection on the team. George Springer’s home run projection is 14th in the league, and his total hits projection is 9th in the league. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has the 11th best home run projection in today’s league.
The Astros Are Coming Off A Win
The Yankees picked up a 4-3 win over the Astros in the series opener. The Yankees were able to get to J.P. France early, scoring a run in the 2nd and 4th innings. The Astros took a 3-2 lead in the 6th, but the Yankees were able to tie things up in the 9th and then take the lead for good.
Clarke Schmidt got the start for the Yankees, going 5 1/3 innings, giving up three runs. Nick Burdi picked up the win in relief, while Clay Holmes picked up the save. Josh Hader took the loss for the Astros. Jose Altuve homered for the Astros, while Juan Soto had three hits for the Yankees.
Ronel Blanco Gets The Start For The Astros
Getting the start for the Astros is Ronel Blanco, who is coming off a season in which he went 2-1 in 17 appearances. Blanco’s ERA for the season was 4.5, and he finished the year with a WHIP of 1.48. In terms of batting average allowed, Blanco gave up a .249 average, while his on-base percentage allowed was .345. For the season, Blanco gave up 12 home runs, and his FIP finished at 5.99. Blanco’s strikeouts per walk for the season was 1.9, while his walks per game average was 1.6.
Astros Offense Breakdown
When looking at the Astros’ player prop projections for hits and home runs, Mauricio Dubón has the highest total hits projection on the team and his total hits projection is 20th in the league today. Yordan Alvarez has the highest home run projection on the team and 10th in the league. Jose Altuve’s total hits projection is 25th in the league and his home run projection is 14th. Yainer Diaz is 2nd on the team in terms of home run projections.
Blue Jays vs Astros Prediction
The best bet in this Blue Jays vs. Astros matchup is to take the Blue Jays on the money line, where they are sitting at +122. We have the Blue Jays winning this one by a score of 6-5.
There are a couple of reasons we are going with the Blue Jays on the money line. First, we have them finishing with 12 hits compared to the Astros with 10. Also, we have the Astros’ starting pitcher, Ronel Blanco, finishing with just four strikeouts, which is 19th among starters today.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:April 1, 2024 Astros, Blue Jays