R.A. Dickey (2-6, 5.53 ERA) and the Toronto Blue Jays (27-30) go up against Collin McHugh (6-2, 4.33 ERA) and the Houston Astros (34-23) in the last of a three-game series at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays won the last game 7-2 and Toronto leads the series 2-0. The game starts at 1:07 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jun. 7 and will air on ROOT-SW and RSN.
Dickey is 2-5 with a 5.11 ERA against the Astros in his career, but is up against a struggling Houston offense that’s hitting just .236 on the year. Chris Colabello (.359, 18 Rs, 4 HRs, 17 RBIs, 2 SBs) went 1 for 5 yesterday with one run. In his pitching opportunities against the Blue Jays, McHugh is 1-0 with a 2.02 ERA. He gets a strong Toronto offense that’s batting .265. Jose Altuve (.303, 25 Rs, 5 HRs, 27 RBIs, 16 SBs) has been hitting the ball well for the Astros, going 3 for 4 yesterday with one RBI.
Toronto is a -122 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is eight runs. The Blue Jays are 15-12 as the favorite and have an overall money line of -581. The Blue Jays rank fourth in the majors in home runs with 66. Don’t expect the Toronto hitters to swing wildly in their own ballpark. They average only 6.2 strikeouts per home game.
Across the field, the Astros have a nice record of 19-10 when they are the underdog and are +1,085 overall with the money line. The Astros are the top-ranked scoring offense in the AL when playing on the road, averaging five runs per game so far. The Astros are known for their bats, hitting 178 extra base hits. Houston is a terror on the base paths, ranking third in the MLB with 46 stolen bases. Switching gears to Houston’s pitching staff, they have a WHIP of 1.15, best in the MLB.
The Astros have mostly come out on top against the Blue Jays in their previous six games this season, earning a 4-2 record. The Blue Jays will take on a right-hander (McHugh) in this game and have a 19-26 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Astros will be the right-hander Dickey. Right-handed starters haven’t been a big issue for them as they sport a 22-12 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR, O/U – Over
Notes
When the Astros play into extra innings, they have a 3-2 record. The Blue Jays are 1-1 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Astros managed to give up five walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Blue Jays who are heading in with a 10-1 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Blue Jays are 3-22. The Astros have a 9-15 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking first in home runs, Houston has hit 77 this season. Toronto ranks fourth with 66 home runs.
Ranking 15th, Houston is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.80 per game. Toronto ranks in the top five at fourth with 8.82.
Ranking 13th, Houston is in the top half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.717). Toronto ranks in the top five at second with an OPS of .769.
When the Astros allow at least one home run, they are 12-15. When the Blue Jays allow one or more homers, they have a 15-23 record.
