From the Rogers Centre in Toronto, we have the Rangers and Blue Jays facing off in an AL matchup. This one is getting started at 1:37 PM ET, and BSSW is carrying the game on TV.
The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs, and the Rangers are the slight money line favorites, with their odds sitting at -112 compared to the Blue Jays at -107. Jose Berrios is starting for the Blue Jays, and the Rangers are starting Jon Gray. Texas is currently on a two-game losing streak, and the Blue Jays have won two straight. In the AL West, the Rangers are in 3rd place, while the Blue Jays are 5th in the AL East.
Texas vs. Toronto Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Rangers at Blue Jays
- Where: Rogers Centre Toronto
- Date: Sunday, July 28th
- Betting Odds TEX -112 | TOR -107 O/U 8.5
Rangers vs Blue Jays Last Game Recap
Toronto cruised to a 7-3 win over the Rangers in the most recent game of this series. The Blue Jays had a huge 1st inning, scoring four of their seven runs. As for the Rangers, they scored their first run in the 3rd and added their final two runs in the 5th.
Kevin Gausman pitched well for the Blue Jays in this one, going nine innings and striking out eight without giving up a run. He picked up a win in the game, while Michael Lorenzen only went two-thirds of an inning for the Rangers, giving up four runs on five hits.
Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk each homered for the Blue Jays, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 3/5 with three RBIs. Justin Turner also had a three-hit game at the plate.
Rangers Preview
As favorites, the Rangers have a 33-23 record this season, but they are 18-31 as underdogs. Texas is 29-23 at home, but they have struggled on the road with a 22-31 record. Overall, the Rangers are 51-54 and are 4.5 games behind the Astros in the AL West.
When the total has been set at 8.5 runs, the over has gone 14-20 in Rangers games this season. The combined run average for Texas and their opponents is 8 runs per game. The Rangers are looking to avoid a sweep in their series against the Blue Jays, as they currently trail 0-2.
Texas is sending Jon Gray to the mound today, and he comes in with a record of 5-4 and an ERA of 3.73. Gray has made 17 starts this year and has pitched well on the road, coming in with a record of 1-2 and an ERA of 4.00. In his last outing, Gray was excellent, going 7 2/3 innings and giving up just one earned run. He picked up the win in that outing. Overall, he has a WHIP of 1.25 and has issued just 2.2 walks per nine innings. Gray's ERA at home is 4.34.
So far this season, the Rangers are averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 17th in the majors. They have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .239, which is 12th in the league, and are 15th in home runs. The Rangers are one of the better teams in the league at avoiding strikeouts, averaging just 7 per game.
Marcus Semien has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/28 in his last seven games, with two homers and eight runs scored. For the season, he is batting .246 with 15 homers. Adolis Garcia and Corey Seager are the team's top two home run hitters, but Garcia is batting just .213, and Seager is hitting .272.
Blue Jays Preview
As underdogs, the Blue Jays have a 15-32 record straight up, but they are 25-22 vs. the run line. Overall, Toronto is 48-56 and they are 13 games behind the Orioles in the AL East. The Blue Jays have won two straight games and have a 5-5 record in their last 10.
When playing at home, the Blue Jays games have gone over the total 55 times, compared to 46 unders. Toronto's overall series record is 11-16-6, and they have lost three straight series. The Blue Jays' average run differential in wins is +3.1, while it's -4.0 in losses.
José Berríos will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Rays, as he gets the start for the Blue Jays today. In that July 23rd start, he took the loss, giving up three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Looking back further, Berríos has lost three straight starts and has given up at least four earned runs in each of those outings. The right-hander's record for the season is 8-8, and his ERA is 4.08. Berríos has a total of 12 quality starts this year.
Over his last eight games, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been on fire for the Blue Jays, going 13/28 with four homers and seven RBIs. Guerrero Jr. is also on a nine-game hitting streak. For the season, he is batting .301 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs, which is 13th in the league. George Springer is 2nd on the team with 13 homers but is batting just .227.
As a team, the Blue Jays are 25th in the league in runs scored at 4.1 runs per game. This is also reflected in their home run numbers, as they are just 22nd in the league in homers. Overall, they are batting .238, which is 13th in the league.
Rangers vs. Blue Jays Prediction: Blue Jays ML -107
We see the Blue Jays picking up a 5-4 win over the Rangers in this one. With the Blue Jays being the underdog at -107, we see this as a great value pick for today's game.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have José Berríos finishing with five strikeouts, which would have him finishing as the sixth lowest among starting pitchers. As for Jon Gray, we have him finishing with five strikeouts, which would have him finishing as the 17th highest.
