R.A. Dickey (11-11, 3.86 ERA) and the Toronto Blue Jays meet Chris Young (11-6, 3.04 ERA) and the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of the League Championship Series at the Rogers Centre. The game gets underway at 4:07 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 20 and will air on FS1.
In Game 4 of the Divisional Playoffs, Dickey pitched 4.2 innings, giving up one run and striking out three in an 8-4 victory over the Rangers. Josh Donaldson (.295, 129 Rs, 44 HRs, 130 RBIs, 6 SBs) played well again yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run, one home run, and three RBIs. The Royals were unsuccessful against the Astros 5-2 the last time Young pitched. He went 4.0 innings, allowing one run, striking out seven and walking two. Kendrys Morales (.291, 85 Rs, 26 HRs, 116 RBIs) has been hitting the ball well for the Royals, going 3 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and two RBIs.
Toronto is a -131 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is nine runs. The Blue Jays perform well as a favorite with a 72-37 record and have an overall money line of +979. They are 5-1 as the favorite over their last 10 games. The Blue Jays lead the majors in home runs with 243. The Blue Jays typically don’t swing at bad pitches, which has led to an AL-high 3.5 walks per game. Toronto’s pitching staff has fallen apart in the past 10 games. Its average runs allowed per game rose to 5.4 during that span, compared to its 4.1 season average. The Blue Jays are the best in the AL in walks allowed, giving up just 2.5 per game.
On the other side, the Royals have a record of 37-30 when they are the underdog and are +1,904 overall with the money line. The Royals are known for their bats, hitting 508 extra base hits. Kansas City is a terror on the base paths, ranking fifth in the MLB with 109 stolen bases.
This game will feature Young (RHP) on the mound against the Blue Jays, who have a 73-54 record when they take on a right-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Royals will be the right-hander Dickey. They sport a 64-41 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR, O/U – Over
Notes
The Blue Jays are coming into this matchup after a high-scoring game where they scored a whopping 11 runs. The Royals have a 0-7 record when opponents score that many runs or more.
When they are outhit, the Blue Jays are 15-57. The Royals have a 16-59 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking first in home runs, Toronto has hit 243 this season. Kansas City ranks 19th with 149 home runs.
Toronto and Kansas City both rank in the top five of the league in hits. Toronto sits at fourth with 9.12 hits per game and Kansas City ranks second with 9.24.
Ranking first in on-base plus slugging percentage, Toronto has an OPS of .796 this season. Kansas City ranks eighth with an OPS of .738.
When the Royals allow at least one home run, they are 44-54. When the Blue Jays allow one or more homers, they have a 57-52 record.
