The Blue Jays (82-67, 40-34 home) host the Red Sox (74-75, 36-37 away) in game three of this AL East series. Getting the start for the Blue Jays is Hyun Jin Ryu while the Red Sox are turning to Nick Pivetta. Read on to get my best bet for this Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox matchup.

BOSTON RED SOX VS TORONTO BLUE JAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Boston Red Sox +117

This game will be played at Rogers Centre at 1:37 ET on Sunday, September 17th.

WHY BET THE BOSTON RED SOX:

  • The Red Sox will be taking on a Blue Jays club that is just 2-3 over their last five games.
  • Over their last five games as the favorite, the Blue Jays are just 2-3 (straight-up).
  • The Red Sox have gone 1-2 in Hyun Jin Ryu’s last three starts.

BOSTON RED SOX HAVE STRUGGLED AGAINST THE AL EAST

Entering with a record of 74-75, the Red Sox are in 5th place in the AL East and are losers of three straight games. So far, they have a road win percentage of 49.3% compared to 50.0% at home. Boston’s overall series record stands at 22-21-4.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta has an overall record of 9-9 and an ERA of 4.56 this season. On the road, his ERA is 3.35 while it is 4.98 when he pitches at home. His WHIP for the year stands at 1.22, with opposing teams batting .214 against him and a slugging percentage of .419.

Nick Pivetta’s most recent outing resulted in a 3-2 loss to the Yankees, with the right-hander lasting 5 1/3 innings and surrendering four hits that led to three earned runs.

So far this season, the Red Sox’s has gone deep 175 times, placing them 15th in the league. Over Boston’s previous five games, they are 17th in runs scored, with their season average of 4.9 runs per game putting them 8th in the league. The Red Sox’s overall team batting average stands at .261 along with an OBP of .327.

The Red Sox’s offensive leader, Rafael Devers, has accumulated a .274 batting average this season. He boasts a .514 slugging percentage and an impressive .350 on-base percentage.

WILL THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Winners of two straight games, the Blue Jays are in 3rd place in the AL East. So far, they have a series win percentage of 61% (27-17-2). Toronto has gone 42-33 on the road this season compared to 40-34 at home.

Hyun Jin Ryu brings a 3-3 record and 2.92 ERA into the game. On the road, he has earned a 1-1 record and 1.80 ERA in four appearances. At home, Ryu has gone 2-2 with a 3.82 ERA. His season-long WHIP is 1.05, along with a .214 batting average allowed by opposing teams who have slugged .383 against him.

Hyun Jin Ryu will look to build on his most recent outing, in which he pitched six innings and gave up three earned runs on five hits. Unfortunately, the Toronto Blue Jays were unable to come away with a win, losing 6-3 to the Texas Rangers.

As a team, Toronto has scuffled at the plate of late, with a combined batting average of just .198 over their last ten games. Compared to other teams, this is just 28th in that span. When looking at the team’s power numbers, they have a season-long slugging percentage of .415% while going deep a total of 171 times (17th). Overall, the Blue Jays are 15th in the MLB at 4.5 runs per contest.

The Toronto Blue Jays have seen Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit three home runs in their last five games, leading the team in that category. The slugger has racked up 24 dingers this season, with a .267 batting average to boot.