Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox Picks and Predictions September 23rd 2024

From the Rogers Centre in Toronto, we have the Red Sox and Blue Jays facing off in an AL East matchup. First pitch for Monday’s matchup is set for 7:07 PM ET. NESN will be televising this one, and the Red Sox are even money on the money line (+100). The Blue Jays are the slight favorite at -118.

Boston is 78-78, and they are on a two-game winning streak. Toronto, on the other hand, has lost three straight and is 73-83 overall. Chris Bassitt will start for the Blue Jays, while the Red Sox are sending Tanner Houck to the mound.

Boston vs. Toronto Key Information

Tanner Houck gets the start for the Red Sox today as he faces the Blue Jays on the road. He has made 29 starts this season and has a record of 8-10 with an ERA of 3.21. Houck’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.16. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up one earned run in four innings of work. Before that, he had given up at least four earned runs in three straight starts. Houck has one complete game shutout this season and 19 quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.98 strikeouts and 2.44 walks.

So far this season, the Red Sox have been one of the league’s best offenses, averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. They have been even better in terms of home runs, as their 193 home runs are the 5th most in the league. As a team, they are batting .253, which is the 6th best mark in the league. One of the reasons for their strong offensive numbers is that they have the league’s best BABIP at .32.

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Over the team’s last nine games, Triston Casas has hit four home runs, but he is batting just .241 over that stretch. Jarren Duran comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak and is batting .285 for the season. Duran is 2nd on the team with 75 RBIs and has 21 homers. Rafael Devers has a team-high 83 RBIs and is batting .272 for the season.

Right-hander Chris Bassitt gets the start for the Blue Jays today vs. the Red Sox and comes into the game with a record of 10-13 and an ERA of 4.16. This year, he has made 30 starts, and opponents are batting .263 off him. Bassitt’s last outing came against the Rangers, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up one earned run in 3 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Against the Red Sox on August 28th, Bassitt gave up one earned run in 6 2/3 innings of work.

For the season, the Blue Jays are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. As a team, they are batting .242, which is 13th in the MLB right now. Toronto has been pretty good at avoiding strikeouts this season, and they are also among the league leaders in walks. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been one of the league’s top hitters this season, batting .327 with 30 homers and 100 RBIs.

Guerrero Jr. has been even better of late, going 13/29 in his last seven games with two homers. Overall, he has a four-game hitting streak. George Springer is also among the team’s top power threats, with 19 homers, but he is batting just .219 for the season.

Today’s matchup between the Red Sox and Blue Jays has the highest total hits projection in the league, and our lean would be towards taking the over. As for how we would play the money line in this one, we would be leaning towards the Red Sox to pick up the win. Boston starter Tanner Houck has the 4th best strikeout projection among today’s starters compared to Chris Bassitt, who has the highest projection for the Blue Jays.

Jays Looking to Slow Down Triston Casas, Red Sox

The Toronto Blue Jays are set to get back on Monday night after a troublesome 1-5 excursion, hoping to recover their structure as they have the Boston Red Sox and their red-hot slugger, Triston Casas, in the opener of a three-game series.

Toronto (73-83) was cleared in a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays throughout the end of the week, covered off by a 4-3 loss on Sunday. In spite of the group’s battles, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was a brilliant spot for the Blue Jays, going 3-for-5 in the series finale and driving in his 100th RBI of the time. Guerrero completed the series 7-for-14, helping his last part numbers.

“It’s an incredible individual achievement,” Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider said of Guerrero’s achievement. “To do it the way he’s made it happen, particularly in the last part, says a lot to how great he is, the means by which capable he is.”

While Guerrero is heating up for Toronto, the Red Sox (78-78) have their own star in Triston Casas, who is coming off a monster performance in Sunday’s doubleheader sweep of the Minnesota Twins. Casas smashed three home runs and collected seven RBIs in Game 1 of the twin bill, a game Boston won 8-1. The Red Sox followed that with a 9-3 victory in Game 2 to sweep the day.

“It feels good. I know I have that potential,” Casas said. “Maybe not to hit three home runs every game, but to hit the ball like that. I know I can do it. It’s just a matter of consistency and doing it over and over.”

Pitching Matchup

The Blue Jays will go to right-hander Chris Bassitt (10-13, 4.16 Period) to attempt to calm Casas and the remainder of the Red Sox arrangement. Bassitt is making his 31st beginning of the time on Monday, and keeping in mind that his last excursion was harsh, permitting seven runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Texas Officers, only one of those runs was procured. In six profession begins against Boston, Bassitt has fared well, going 2-1 with a 2.21 Time. He has confronted the Red Sox multiple times this season, posting a strong 2.29 Period regardless of going winless in those excursions.

Boston will counter with right-hander Tanner Houck (8-10, 3.21 ERA), who last pitched against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. Houck went four innings, allowing just one run on four hits in a no-decision. He has faced Toronto seven times in his career, with six of those outings being starts, and is 0-1 with a 3.94 ERA against the Blue Jays.

Postseason Implications

There will be included strain Houck and the Red Sox as they attempt to keep their thin postseason trusts alive. Boston is four games behind the Kansas City Royals for the third and last AL wild-card spot, with only six games staying in their ordinary season. While their odds are blurring, administrator Alex Cora stays unfaltering in his group’s methodology.

“We’re gonna keep playing,” Cora said. “We’re gonna keep playing all the way to the end.”

Meanwhile, Toronto, eliminated from playoff contention, will look to play spoiler and gain momentum heading into the offseason. The Blue Jays have struggled against Boston this season, going 4-6 in the season series.

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Key Players to Watch

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays): Guerrero has been locked in at the plate, coming off a hot series against Tampa Bay where he reached the 100-RBI mark for the season. Toronto will need his bat to stay hot against a Boston team fighting for its playoff life.
• Triston Casas (Red Sox): Casas is coming off one of the best individual performances of the season, and the Red Sox will rely on him to provide more offensive firepower as they aim to keep their slim postseason hopes alive.

As both teams gear up for the series, the spotlight will be on whether Toronto can slow down Casas and the Red Sox’s offense, while Boston fights to stay in the playoff race.