In the first of a three-game series between the Tampa Bay Rays (40-31) and the Toronto Blue Jays (40-31) at Tropicana Field, Matt Andriese (2-1, 3.26 ERA) and Drew Hutchison (6-1, 5.33 ERA) get the start. The game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on Monday, Jun. 22 and will air on RSN and SunSports.
Andriese is 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA against the Blue Jays in his career, and faces a solid Toronto offense that’s hitting .271 on the year. David DeJesus (.301, 18 Rs, 5 HRs, 22 RBIs, 2 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday. In his pitching opportunities against the Rays, Hutchison is 2-2 with a 6.31 ERA, 21 strikeouts and 14 walks. Josh Donaldson (.302, 56 Rs, 17 HRs, 46 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run.
Tampa Bay is favored by a slight -108 margin in its matchup against Toronto. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at eight runs. When playing as the favorite, the Rays have a 19-14 record and overall money line at +1,038. They have performed well against their division to earn an SU record of 18-14 and a 7-6 record when they were the favorite. The Rays don’t allow many hitters to get on base, ranking fifth in the league with a 1.21 WHIP. The have been extremely effective at striking opposing batters out at Tropicana Field, averaging 8.8 strikeouts per home game.
Switching gears, the Blue Jays come into this game with a win percentage of .412 when playing as the underdog (14-20) and an overall money line of +213. Against divisional rivals, they are 18-15 SU and 9-10 as the underdog. The Blue Jays are the top-ranked scoring offense in the AL when playing on the road, averaging five runs per game so far. Toronto is one of the top home-run-hitting teams in the league with 87 home runs. The Blue Jays average 3.3 walks per game, making them one of the most disciplined teams in the AL.
The Rays had the upper hand against the Blue Jays in their previous seven games this season, earning a 6-1 record. The Rays will take on a right-hander (Hutchison) in this game and have a 26-22 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The right-handed Andriese will take the mound against the Blue Jays, who have a 26-29 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Toronto is 20-13, while Tampa Bay is 14-12.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Rays are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Blue Jays have a 4-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
When they are outhit, the Blue Jays are 4-25. The Rays have a 7-21 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 14th in home runs, Tampa Bay has hit 65 this season. Toronto ranks third with 87 home runs.
Ranking 11th, Tampa Bay is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.13 per game. Toronto ranks in the top five at third with 9.09.
Ranking first in on-base plus slugging percentage, Toronto has an OPS of .786 this season. Tampa Bay ranks 20th with an OPS of .693.
The Blue Jays are 23-24 when they allow at least one home run. The Rays perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 15-22 record.
