Toronto Blue Jays vs Cincinnati Reds Picks and Predictions August 19th 2024

Reds look to right ship against Blue Jays

First pitch for Tuesday night’s Reds vs. Blue Jays interleague matchup is set for 7:07 PM ET from the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The Reds are 3rd in the NL Central with a record of 61-64, while the Blue Jays are 5th in the AL East at 58-67.

Carson Spiers will start for the Reds, while the Blue Jays are going with Jose Berrios. Toronto is favored on the money line, with the odds sitting at -144 compared to the Reds at +121. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and the game can be seen on BSOH.

Cincinnati vs. Toronto Key Information

• Teams: Reds at Blue Jays
• Where: Rogers Centre Toronto
• Date: Tuesday, August 20th
• Betting Odds TOR -144 | CIN +121 O/U 8

The Reds Can Win If…

Cincinnati is sending Carson Spiers to the mound today, and he comes in with a record of 4-4 and an ERA of 4.55. So far, he has made eight starts and 14 total appearances. In his last outing, which came out of the bullpen, Spiers went 2 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs, four hits, and two walks. He didn’t give up a homer in that outing. Before that, he had given up a homer in three straight outings. Spiers’ ERA on the road is 6.22, compared to 3.86 at home.

Elly De La Cruz comes into the game as the Reds’ leader in home runs, but he is batting just .257 for the season. His 53 RBIs is 3rd on the team. Spencer Steer has been hot of late, going 9/29 in his last 10 games with three homers and six runs scored. For the season, he is batting just .234.

As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.4 runs per game and are 11th in home runs. Their team batting average of .230 is 21st in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in on-base percentage and have the 23rd most strikeouts in the league.

• The Reds are 5-5 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Reds are 2-3 vs. the run line.
• Cincinnati has an over/under record of 4-5-1 in their last ten games.
• The Reds have an average of 3.6 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the Reds are 5-5
• Looking back across the Reds last five games as the favorite, they are 2-3
• Cincinnati has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Reds have averaged 4.6 runs per game on offense

The Blue Jays Can Win If…

José Berríos will be looking to build off his last outing, where he gave up just one earned run in seven innings of work. In that start vs. the Angels, he allowed just five hits and issued two walks. Berríos finished with five strikeouts in the outing. Looking back further, he has made 25 starts this season and has a record of 11-9. Berríos’ ERA for the season is 3.85, along with a WHIP of 1.18. The right-hander has made 15 quality starts this year and is averaging 6.98 strikeouts per nine innings. For the season, he has given up 27 homers.

So far this season, the Blue Jays are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 23rd in the league. They have been slightly better on the road (4.3 RPG) than at home (4.0 RPG). As a team, they are batting .238, which is 17th in the league, and they have the 23rd ranked home run total in the league. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been a bright spot for the Blue Jays, as he is batting .317 for the season and is 11th in the league with 81 RBIs. He also leads the team with 26 homers.

Over his last six games, Guerrero Jr. has three homers, but is just 6/25 during that stretch. Daulton Varsho has gone 7/22 in his last five games, including one home run. Varsho is batting just .211 for the season but is on a four-game hitting streak.

• The Blue Jays are 5-5 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Blue Jays are 4-1 vs. the run line.
• Toronto has an over/under record of 4-6 in their last ten games.
• The Blue Jays have an average of 4.0 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten home games, the Blue Jays are 5-5
• Looking back across the Blue Jays last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
• Toronto has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Blue Jays have averaged 4.5 runs per game on offense

The Lean

For an over/under pick, we are leaning towards the over, as this is projected to be the 3rd highest-scoring game of the day. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we have our lean on the Reds to pick up the win. Cincinnati’s offense is our highest projected in terms of hits, and 2nd highest in runs scored. Looking at today’s starters, we have Carson Spiers finishing with more strikeouts than José Berríos for the Blue Jays.

The Cincinnati Reds, reeling from a crushing sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals, will seek to turn their fortunes around as they open a crucial seven-game road trip against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.

Reds Struggle in Kansas City

The Reds enter the series with Toronto on the heels of a dismal three-game set against Kansas City, where they were outscored 28-3. Sunday’s 8-1 loss capped a disappointing 3-3 homestand, highlighting the team’s recent struggles. Despite showing promise with a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals earlier, Cincinnati’s inconsistency has been glaring.

“We’re trying every day to find ways to get better and to score runs more consistently,” said Reds manager David Bell. “We believe in our guys, but we know we have to keep adjusting to the league, our opponents, and even ourselves as hitters. There’s no reason we can’t turn things around now.”

Identifying and Addressing Weaknesses

The Reds’ issues were laid bare by the Royals, particularly their defensive shortcomings and poor discipline at the plate. “Defense would probably be No. 1,” Reds catcher Luke Maile admitted. “If you play sound defense, you’re always going to be in the fight. Offensively, when we don’t play well, it’s because we chase out of the zone too much.”

Maile sees the recent struggles as a learning opportunity. “We got some pretty good feedback from a good team about where we stand,” he said. “We need to take that information and make the necessary adjustments against Toronto. If we don’t, we’ll just keep spinning our wheels.”

Blue Jays Look to Build on Momentum

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, return home after a successful 4-2 road trip, which they capped with a tense 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The win was powered by Joey Loperfido’s first home run as a Blue Jay, a moment of personal redemption after a rocky start with his new team.

Loperfido, who had been hitting just .140 over his first 12 games with Toronto, expressed gratitude for the support of his teammates during his slump. “All these guys have had my back through what was a tough couple of weeks,” Loperfido said. “Coming through in a 1-0 game like that felt good, especially after everything.”

Pitching Matchup: Gausman vs. TBD

Toronto will send right-hander Kevin Gausman to the mound on Monday. Gausman, who has an 11-8 record with a 4.20 ERA this season, has struggled historically against the Reds, holding a 1-3 record with an 8.39 ERA in five career starts. However, he hasn’t faced Cincinnati since 2021, adding an element of unpredictability to the matchup.

The Reds have yet to announce their starting pitcher for the game, which leaves some uncertainty about how they plan to tackle Toronto’s potent lineup.

Reds Bolster Roster with Amed Rosario

In an effort to shore up their infield, Cincinnati claimed Amed Rosario off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Rosario’s addition to the roster suggests the Reds are actively seeking solutions to their recent woes, hoping that fresh talent can provide the spark they need.

Keys to the Game

For Cincinnati, the focus will be on tightening their defense and improving plate discipline to avoid falling into the same traps that led to their downfall against Kansas City. Meanwhile, Toronto will look to continue their solid play, leaning on Gausman to keep the Reds’ bats in check and hoping that Loperfido’s recent success is a sign of more to come.

The series opener against the Blue Jays presents a pivotal opportunity for the Reds to correct course as they navigate the final stretch of the season. The stakes are high, and both teams are poised to battle it out in what promises to be an intriguing matchup.

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