Toronto Blue Jays vs Philadelphia Phillies Picks and Predictions September 3rd 2024

The Phillies are the slight money line favorite (-106) heading into their interleague matchup with the Blue Jays, who are 5th in the AL East with a record of 67-72. This one is getting started at 7:07 PM ET from the Rogers Centre in Toronto, and the Phillies are 1st in the NL East, while the Blue Jays are 5th in their division.

Philadelphia will be looking to keep their winning streak alive, as they have won two in a row, and they are 81-56 overall. Toronto will send Chris Bassitt to the mound vs. a Phillies team that will start Tyler Phillips.

Right-hander Tyler Phillips is getting the start for the Phillies today as he faces the Blue Jays on the road. He has made six starts this year and has a record of 4-1 with an ERA of 5.50. Phillips’ WHIP for the season is 1.22, and opponents are batting .259 off him this year. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, going 4 1/3 innings and giving up five earned runs on nine hits. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Phillips has one complete game shutout this year.

Over the past eight games, Bryce Harper has been swinging a hot bat for the Phillies, going 11/28 (.393) with four runs scored. Harper is 11th in the league this season with 26 homers and is batting .281 for the season. Alec Bohm comes into the game with a team-leading 89 RBIs and is batting .290 for the season.

As a team, the Phillies are 6th in the league in scoring at 4.8 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.1 runs per contest. Overall, they are one of the top home run hitting teams in the league and have the 4th best team batting average in the league.

Right-hander Chris Bassitt gets the start for the Blue Jays today and comes in with a record of 9-13 and an ERA of 4.27. Bassitt has made 27 starts this year and has pitched well at home, coming in with a record of 6-7 and an ERA of 5.85. He has a WHIP of 1.40 for the season and has turned in 11 quality starts. In his last outing, Bassitt took the loss, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up one earned run on five hits. Before that, he had given up at least three earned runs in three straight starts. Bassitt has allowed at least one homer in four straight outings.

So far this season, the Blue Jays offense has been pretty average in terms of batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. As a team, they are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. Toronto’s offense has been pretty consistent, as they are averaging 4.3 runs per game on the road and 4.2 at home. The Blue Jays are also one of the league’s best teams at avoiding strikeouts.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been one of the league’s top hitters this season, batting .324 with 27 home runs and 89 RBIs. He is also coming off a stretch in which he went 14/31 in his last eight games. George Springer has also been a big power threat for the Blue Jays, with 19 homers, but he is batting just .216.

Tyler Phillips, the Phillies’ rookie right-hander, is stepping back onto the mound with something to prove. After being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday, Phillips is gearing up to make his seventh major league start as the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre. This two-game series opener offers Phillips a shot at redemption, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Phillips’ Path to Redemption

Phillips (4-1, 5.50 ERA) began his major league career with promise, delivering solid performances in his first three starts. He allowed just five earned runs over 16 innings, including a standout four-hit shutout against the Cleveland Guardians on July 27. But then, the wheels started to come off. Over his next three starts, Phillips gave up a staggering 17 earned runs in just 11 innings, leading to his demotion on August 17.

Looking back, Phillips admits he was pressing too hard to secure his spot in the rotation. “I was pitching for results more than doing what a sinkerballer does, which is getting weak contact,” Phillips explained. “In my head, I was like, ‘To put up zeros, I’ve got to miss bats and do all this crazy stuff that isn’t me.'”

Now, with a clearer mindset, Phillips is focused on getting back to the basics that earned him his initial call-up. “A lot of it was getting back to myself, who I am, what got me here, what allowed me to have so many quality starts while I was in the minor leagues,” he said. This new approach could be exactly what he needs to regain his form and solidify his place on the team.

Phillies Riding High in NL East

The Phillies (81-56) are flying high in the National League East, having extended their lead to seven games over the second-place Atlanta Braves after a nail-biting 3-2 victory in 11 innings on Sunday. As they roll into Toronto, the Phillies are looking to keep their momentum going and strengthen their push toward the postseason.

Blue Jays Struggling, But Not Out

Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays (67-72) are coming off a rough series against the Minnesota Twins, where they dropped two out of three games, including a 4-3 loss on Sunday. That defeat was sealed by a three-run homer from Royce Lewis in the eighth inning, but Blue Jays manager John Schneider remains hopeful about his team’s resilience.

Sunday’s lineup featured five rookies, but the Blue Jays are expected to bring back their veteran powerhouses—Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, Daulton Varsho, and Alejandro Kirk—for Tuesday’s crucial matchup.

Pitching Matchup: Phillips vs. Bassitt

Phillips will face a significant challenge as he goes up against Toronto’s veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt (9-13, 4.27 ERA). Bassitt has been a thorn in the Phillies’ side, boasting a 4-0 record with a 1.86 ERA in five career starts against Philadelphia. In their last encounter on May 8, Bassitt limited the Phillies to just two earned runs over 6 1/3 innings, leading the Blue Jays to a 5-3 victory.

The Blue Jays will be leaning heavily on Bassitt to deliver another strong outing as they fight to stay in the wild-card race. On the other side, the Phillies are counting on Phillips to show the poise and skill that initially earned him a spot in the rotation.

A Critical Series for Both Teams

As the Phillies continue to solidify their playoff standing, Tyler Phillips has a golden opportunity to prove he belongs in the big leagues. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, with Chris Bassitt at the helm, are desperate to turn things around and stay in the hunt for a postseason spot. Tuesday’s game is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for both teams as the regular season winds down.

Today’s Phillies vs. Blue Jays matchup is projected to be a low-scoring game, but with the line sitting at 8.5 runs, we are still leaning towards taking the over. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we like the Blue Jays to come out on top. Toronto starter Chris Bassitt has the 4th best odds to pick up a win and is 6th in our projections in innings pitched. On the other side, Tyler Phillips is 7th worst in our projections in starting pitcher strikeouts.