In the first of a three-game series between the Toronto Blue Jays (2-2) and the Boston Red Sox (1-1) at the Rogers Centre, Marcus Stroman (1-0, 3.38 ERA) and Joe Kelly (10-6, 4.82 ERA) are on the hill. The game starts at 7:07 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 8 and can be seen on NESN, RSN and MLBN.
In his most recent start, Stroman pitched 8.0 innings, allowing three runs, striking out five and walking one in a 5-3 win over the Rays. Josh Donaldson (.250 ) went 1 for 3 Wednesday with one run, one home run, and three RBIs. Kelly will get the start on the other side. Last season, he pitched 134.1 innings, going 10-6 with a 4.82 ERA 1.44 WHIP, and two strikeouts. Brock Holt (.500 ) has been hitting the ball well to start the season, going 2 for 3 Wednesday with two runs, one home run, and two RBIs.
The odds for Toronto and Boston are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. They have been a terror on the base paths, ranking third in all of baseball with two steals.
Boston is one of the top hitting teams in the AL with an average of 10.5 hits per contest.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR
Notes
Boston has lost all of its games (0-1) when leading after seven innings.
Tied at seventh for total home runs, Toronto and Boston have each hit five homers this season.
Ranking 19th, Toronto is in the bottom half of the league in hits, notching 7.25 per game. Boston ranks in the top five with 10.50.
Boston tops the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage of .000 this season. Toronto ranks near the bottom at 29th with an OPS of .630.
When the Red Sox allow at least one home run, they are 0-1. When the Blue Jays allow one or more homers, they have a 2-2 record.
