Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays Picks and Predictions September 20th 2024

First pitch for Friday night’s matchup between the Blue Jays and Rays is set for 6:50 PM ET from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. Toronto is 73-80 and they are 5th in the AL East, while the Rays are 75-78 and are 4th in the AL East.

The money line odds have the Blue Jays at -105 compared to the Rays at -114, and the over/under line is currently at 7.5 runs. SNET will be televising this game, and the forecast for Friday’s game calls for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 80’s.

Toronto vs. Tampa Bay Key Information

José Berríos has been pitching well for the Blue Jays, as he has won his last four starts. Most recently, he faced the Cardinals on September 14th, where he picked up the win, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run. Looking at his overall numbers, Berríos has made 30 starts and has a record of 16-9. His ERA for the season is 3.44, along with a WHIP of 1.12. Berríos has one complete game shutout this year and 20 quality starts. For the season, he is averaging 7.02 strikeouts per nine innings. Berríos’ ERA on the road is 4.88 compared to 2.94 at home.

Heading into the game, the Blue Jays offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. They have been a bit better on the road this season, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .242, which is 13th in the league, and are 22nd in home runs. Toronto is one of the better teams in the league at not striking out, as they are 6th in the league in this category.

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having a great season for the Blue Jays, as he is batting .322 with 30 homers and 99 RBIs. He is also on a 3-game hitting streak. George Springer has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 9/31 in his last nine games with three homers.

Tyler Alexander is getting the start for the Rays today and has made 21 appearances out of the bullpen this season. He has made one quality start and has a record of 6-5 with an ERA of 5.58. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .264 this season. In his last outing, Alexander took the loss, going five innings and giving up four earned runs. Before that, he had won two straight appearances. So far, he has a 6.47 ERA at home compared to 4.46 on the road.

So far this season, the Rays are averaging just 3.8 runs per game, which is 29th in the league. Their team batting average of .231 is 18th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in terms of home runs and slugging percentage. Yandy Diaz has been the team’s top hitter this season, batting .283 with 14 homers and 65 RBIs.

Brandon Lowe is currently on a four-game hitting streak and has two homers over his last seven games, but he is hitting just .241 in that stretch. For the season, Lowe is batting .244 with 19 homers, which is 2nd on the team. Christopher Morel leads the Rays with 21 homers but has a batting average of just .196.

Today’s game between the Blue Jays and Rays should feature plenty of offense, as this is projected to be the 3rd highest-scoring game of today’s league slate. Our lean would be towards taking the over. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we have the Rays coming out on top. Tampa Bay’s offense is our 2nd highest-rated home run-hitting team in the league today, and Tyler Alexander is 5th among today’s starters in projected innings pitched.

Rays Rely on Dominant Pitching as They Face Blue Jays in Crucial Series

The Tampa Bay Rays are riding a wave of exceptional pitching as they prepare to open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night in St. Petersburg, Florida. With both teams still mathematically alive in the playoff race, this series could be pivotal in determining whether either team can make a late push for a wild-card spot.

The Rays (75-78) have leaned heavily on their red-hot pitching staff, which has been dominant in recent games. Coming off a series against the Boston Red Sox in which their pitchers allowed just five runs on 10 hits across three games, Tampa Bay’s staff has been performing at an elite level. The Blue Jays (73-80), meanwhile, are facing the challenge of playing without their star shortstop, Bo Bichette, who is out for the remainder of the season due to a fractured finger.

Rays’ Pitching Dominates Against Red Sox

The Rays’ pitching staff has been nearly unhittable, with standout performances across the board. In Thursday’s 2-0 shutout win over Boston, Zack Littell delivered a masterful outing, throwing just 75 pitches in eight innings of one-hit ball. Littell improved to 8-9 on the season and extended his scoreless streak to 20 innings.

“Really remarkable,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Littell. “To do it against (Boston’s) offense and just limit damage. Not a lot of hard-hit balls at all. You can tell he kept them off balance.”

Littell’s dominance was supported by relievers Edwin Uceta and Garrett Cleavinger, who closed out the game with perfect innings, retiring all six batters they faced. The performance marked the Rays’ 11th shutout of the season, a testament to the strength of their pitching staff.

Tampa Bay has struck out 33 batters over the last three games, and Cash hopes that momentum can carry over as they face a Toronto lineup capable of doing damage, especially with power hitters like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leading the charge.

Tyler Alexander Starts for the Rays

The Rays will send left-hander Tyler Alexander (6-5, 5.58 ERA) to the mound for Friday’s series opener. Alexander has pitched well against Toronto this season, going 2-0 in three games against the Blue Jays. Overall, he has a 3.50 ERA in seven career appearances against Toronto, making him a reliable option for Tampa Bay in this crucial matchup.

Alexander will be tasked with keeping Toronto’s big bats in check, particularly Guerrero, who hit two monstrous home runs in Thursday’s 4-0 win over the Texas Rangers. Guerrero’s homers, which traveled 422 and 441 feet, marked his 30th home run of the season.

Blue Jays Face Life Without Bichette

The Blue Jays are dealing with a significant blow as star shortstop Bo Bichette has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a fractured right middle finger. Bichette had just returned after two months of rehab for a calf injury, but the finger injury occurred during a routine fielding drill when a ground ball hit his fingertip.

Bichette’s absence leaves a hole in Toronto’s lineup, as he was a key contributor both offensively and defensively. Despite a down year by his standards, batting .225 with four homers and 31 RBIs in 81 games, his presence will be sorely missed as the Blue Jays make a final push to stay in the playoff race.

“He was frustrated,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of Bichette. “But I do think he’s in a pretty good place in terms of perspective and things like that.”

Berrios Looks to Tame Rays in Familiar Setting

Jose Berrios (16-9, 3.44 ERA) will take the mound for Toronto, making his 31st start of the season. The veteran right-hander started the season strong, beating the Rays on Opening Day with six innings of two-run ball. However, Tampa Bay got the better of Berrios in their July 23 meeting, tagging him for six walks and a two-run homer by Brandon Lowe in a 4-2 Rays victory.

Berrios has been one of Toronto’s most consistent pitchers this season, leading the team in wins. However, his career numbers against Tampa Bay are mixed, as he holds a 4-5 record with a 4.80 ERA over 12 starts against the Rays. Tampa Bay’s lineup has had some success against Berrios, hitting .255 with nine homers in 65 2/3 innings.

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Despite the ups and downs, Berrios remains confident as he prepares to face a Rays team that is surging thanks to their pitching prowess.

Key Factors to Watch

1. Rays’ Pitching Momentum: Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has been nearly untouchable in recent games. If Tyler Alexander can continue the trend set by Littell and others, the Rays could be in a strong position to win the series opener.
2. Guerrero’s Power Surge: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. seems to be heating up at the right time for Toronto. With two massive homers on Thursday, he’ll be the key bat for Berrios and the Blue Jays as they look to take advantage of any mistakes from the Rays’ pitching staff.
3. Life Without Bichette: The Blue Jays will need to adjust to life without Bo Bichette, who has been ruled out for the season. While Guerrero’s power can make up for some of the lost production, the Jays will need other players to step up in his absence.

Playoff Picture

With both teams hovering around the .500 mark, this series carries significant playoff implications. The Rays are three games under .500 and hanging on to slim postseason hopes, while the Blue Jays are still technically alive but face an uphill battle with nine games left.

This series could make or break either team’s chances of making a final push for the postseason, and the opening game on Friday will set the tone for what is sure to be a tense and hard-fought series.