Aaron Sanchez (4-4, 3.88 ERA) and Roberto Hernandez (2-4, 4.92 ERA) are on the hill in the first of a three-game series between the Toronto Blue Jays (25-30) and the Houston Astros (34-21) at the Rogers Centre. Action begins at 7:07 p.m. ET on Friday, Jun. 5 and can be seen on ROOT-SW and RSN.
Sanchez is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in his appearances against the Astros, and goes up against a below-average Houston offense which is batting just .236 this season. Josh Donaldson (.312, 45 Rs, 15 HRs, 39 RBIs, 2 SBs) went 1 for 5 Wednesday with one run. Hernandez is 3-3 with a 4.38 ERA against the Blue Jays in his career. He is up against a good Toronto offense that’s batting .263. Jose Altuve (.295, 25 Rs, 5 HRs, 26 RBIs, 16 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one stolen base.
Toronto is a -124 favorite against Houston and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at nine runs. The Blue Jays have an overall money line of -681 and a record as the favorite of 14-12. The Blue Jays are one of the best in the MLB in terms of home runs with 64. Toronto’s batters do not strike out very often at home, with only 6.3 per game.
Over in the other dugout, Houston is coming in with an overall money line of +1,351 and an impressive record of 19-9 as the dog. Offensively, they average five runs per game on the road, which is the best in the AL. The Astros have a dynamic offense, ranking third in the league with 176 extra base hits. The Astros are an excellent base stealing team with 45 stolen bases, ranking third in the MLB. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Astros are the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.13 for the season.
The Astros have the edge in the season series, 4-0. The Blue Jays have an 18-26 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Hernandez takes the mound. Sanchez (RHP) will be on the hill against the Astros, who have a very good 22-11 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR, O/U – Over
Notes
Toronto earned its third shutout of the season in its last game. Houston has been shut out four times this season.
The Astros are 3-2 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are 1-1 in such matchups.
The Astros are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Blue Jays have an 8-10 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Astros are 21-7. The Blue Jays have a 22-5 record when outhitting opponents.
Toronto ranks at the top of the league when it comes to runs with 283 this season. Houston ranks in the top 10 at eighth with 235.
Both Toronto and Houston are tied at sixth in walks with a total of 176 this season.
The Blue Jays are 22-15 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Astros are 26-12 when they hit at least one homer.
