First pitch for Saturday's Blue Jays vs. Rays matchup is set for 4:10 PM ET from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. BSSUN is carrying the Rays on their money line, and they are favored at -137 compared to the Blue Jays at +116. The over/under line is currently at 7.5 runs.
Toronto will be looking to play spoiler, as they are 5th in the AL East with a record of 73-81. The Rays are 76-78 and are currently on a two-game winning streak. BSSUN will be televising Saturday's game, and the forecast in St. Petersburg calls for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-80s.
Toronto vs. Tampa Bay Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Blue Jays at Rays
- Where: Tropicana Field St. Petersburg
- Date: Saturday, September 21st
- Betting Odds TB -137 | TOR +116 O/U 7.5
Blue Jays vs Rays Last Game Recap
Tampa Bay picked up a 1-0 win over the Blue Jays in the most recent game of this series. The Rays had just one more hit than the Blue Jays and struck out nine times, but still picked up the win. Heading into the game, they were at -101 on the money line.
Both teams wasted good starting pitching performances in this game. Tyler Alexander went just 4 1/3 innings for the Rays but didn't give up a hit or a run. Jose Berrios went six innings for the Blue Jays, giving up just one run on six hits.
The only run of the game came in the 6th inning when Jonathan Aranda hit a solo home run for the Rays. Aranda was the only player in the game to have more than one hit.
Blue Jays Preview
As underdogs, the Blue Jays have struggled this season, posting a 29-52 record. Overall, they are 73-81 and trail the Yankees by 17 games in the AL East, sitting in 5th place. Toronto's series record is 17-26-5, and they are currently losing their series vs. the Rays.
On the run line, the Blue Jays have been profitable with a 77-77 record. Their games have averaged 8.7 runs per game, resulting in a 78-72 over/under record for the season. Heading into today's game, they have had three straight unders, and the O/U record for games with a 7.5 run total is 18-17.
Right-hander Yariel Rodríguez gets the start for the Blue Jays today as he faces the Rays on the road. He has made 19 starts this season and has a record of 1-6 with an ERA of 4.29. So far, Rodríguez has turned in two quality starts and is averaging 8.92 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he went 4 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run on three hits. He finished with a no-decision in that outing. Before that, he had gone three straight starts without giving up a homer. Overall, he has allowed 10 homers this season.
So far this season, the Blue Jays offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. They have been pretty consistent, as they are also 19th in road games and 17th in home games. As a team, they are batting .242, which is 11th in the league, and are also near the top of the league in terms of avoiding strikeouts. As a team, the Blue Jays are 22nd in home runs and have a collective isolated power of .151.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been the Blue Jays' best hitter this season, as he is batting .322 with 30 home runs and 99 RBIs. He is also on a 13-game hitting streak. George Springer is 2nd on the team with 19 homers, but he is batting just .221 this season. Over his last six games, Davis Schneider has gone 8/23 with three homers.
Rays Preview
Currently, the Rays are in 3rd place in the AL East, 14 games behind the Yankees. They have a 76-78 overall record and have won two straight games, leading their series vs. the Blue Jays.
As underdogs, the Rays have a 56-32 run line record, with an average run differential of -0.4 runs per game. Their over/under record for the season is 66-80, and their games have averaged 7.9 runs. The under has hit in their last three games, and their over/under record for games with a 7.5 run total is 23-29.
Taj Bradley gets the start for the Rays today and will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Guardians. In that start, he took the loss, going 4 1/3 innings and giving up two earned runs, six hits, and three walks. Looking back over his last four starts, Bradley has given up at least two home runs in three of them. His record for the season is 6-11, and his ERA is 4.39, along with a WHIP of 1.24. Opposing batters are hitting .234 off Bradley this season. Out of his 23 starts, Bradley has nine quality starts and is averaging 10.13 strikeouts per nine innings.
So far this season, the Rays are averaging just 3.8 runs per game, which is 29th in the league. As a team, they are batting just .231 and have the 24th ranked home run total in the league. Tampa Bay has been led in RBIs by Yandy Diaz, who is also their top hitter in terms of batting average, hitting .283 for the season.
Brandon Lowe and Christopher Morel are 2nd and 3rd on the team in home runs, but Morel is batting just .197 for the season, and Lowe has gone just 7/33 over his last eight games. Jonathan Aranda and Lowe both have two homers in their last eight games.
Blue Jays vs. Rays Prediction: Rays ML -137
Our predicted final score for this one is 5-4 in favor of the Rays, and with the money line sitting at -137, we see this as a good payout for a straight-up win. Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Taj Bradley finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for eighth among today's starters.
For Yariel Rodríguez, we have him ending the game with five strikeouts, which would put him in the bottom third among starters today. Offensively, we have the Blue Jays finishing with nine hits, compared to the Rays with eight.
