Blue Jays vs Red Sox Predictions, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks, Aug. 23
AL East Rivals Open Series in Boston
Blue Jays Aim to Bolster Playoff Positioning
The Toronto Blue Jays are battling with the Tampa Bay Rays for second place in in the American League East.
The Jays had been riding a four-game winning streak that featured three big wins over the New York Yankees, but the Bronx Bombers got one back on Sunday.
Can they Jays keep their momentum going against the Boston Red Sox, who are dead last in in the division? The Red Sox have dropped three out of their last four games versus the MLB betting odds, but can they spring an upset here?
Let’s check the latest MLB news, stats, injury reports and MLB odds for Blue Jays vs Red Sox. We’ve plenty of MLB picks & predictions.
Blue Jays Relying on Stripling
The Toronto Blue Jays are fighting for second in the division and also in a three-way battle with Tampa Bay and Seattle for the wild card. The three squads came out of the weekend tied for first place.
Toronto will turn to Ross Stripling on Tuesday. He is 5-3 with a healthy 2.93 ERA. Plus, Stripling has been a great contributor for Toronto lately.
In the last four games in which he’s appeared, the Jays have won all of them. Keep in mind that he just returned from a hip injury as he had been out for most of August before that.
There shouldn’t be much doubt about rust, though. Stripling pitched 6.1 innings against the Baltimore Orioles last Wednesday and allowed just one hit and zero runs during that span. He looks good to go here for those who bet online.
Red Sox Struggling Overall
The Boston Red Sox have been a mess all season and it’s unlikely much changes in the final months. They aren’t ranked very highly in any categories as their pitching rotation is 25th in team ERA (4.45) and 20th in home runs allowed (134).
The home runs issues have gone both ways. They rank 19th in total homers that they’ve hit as a team, which goes to show that the team – especially at Fenway Park – is lacking a lot of pop.
Josh Winckowski will get the start for Boston. He was hit hard in his last start, giving up six runs in five innings in a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It is worth noting, though, that even though the team is just 60-62, the Red Sox are just six games out of a wild card spot. It’s a long way to go for a team that has been playing so poorly but it’s not an insurmountable gap if they can get it together.
Blue Jays vs Red Sox Head-to-Head
The Blue Jays have dominated this matchup all year. They’ve played against Boston 13 times and have won 10 of those games.
Blue Jays vs Red Sox Game Information
- Game: Blue Jays (65-55) vs Red Sox (60-62)
- Location: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
- Day/Time: Tuesday, Aug. 23, 7:10 p.m. ET
- Blue Jays vs Red Sox Live Stream: MLB.tv
Blue Jays vs Red Sox Betting Lines
Team | RunLine | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
Toronto Blue Jays
R. Stripling -R |
-1½ +115 | -140 | 9½ -110o | 5½ -115o
5½ -115u |
Boston Red Sox
J. Winckowski -R |
+1½ -135 | +125 | 9½ -110u | 4½ +110o
4½ -140u |
Blue Jays vs Red Sox Prediction
Straight away, Toronto looks like the better team to bet on in the sportsbook. The Blue Jays beaten the Red Sox 10 times this season, including three straight coming into this one. Plus, one of those recent victories was a 28-5 blowout.
The Blue Jays seem to have Boston’s number and it’s hard to expect that to change right now considering Toronto seems hot.
Coming off of a series where they took three of four from the Yankees, the Jays are the right choice for your MLB picks here.