The Blue Jays (70-59, 32-28 home) will host the Guardians (61-68, 28-35 away) in game two of this American League series. Starting for the Blue Jays is Hyun Jin Ryu, while the Guardians are giving the ball to Logan Allen. Read on to see my pick for this showdown between Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Guardians.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS VS TORONTO BLUE JAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Toronto Blue Jays -169

This game will be played at Rogers Centre at 3:07 ET on Saturday, August 26th.

WHY BET THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS:

  • The Blue Jays have gone 3-2 in their five games at home.
  • Over their previous ten games as the underdog, the Guardians are just 3-7 straight-up.
  • Hyun Jin Ryu has done a good job at avoiding the long-ball of late, having not given up a away-run in each of his past two starts.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS LOOKING FOR UPSET AS ROAD UNDERDOGS

The Guardians’ record of 61-68 has them ranked 2nd in the AL Central. So far, they have a below .500 series record of 16-21-4. This season, they have gone 33-33 at home and 28-35 on the road.

The Guardians will look to Logan Allen to take the mound, with an overall record of 6-6. Through 19 appearances, Allen has posted an ERA of 3.31 and a K/9 of 8.71. Additionally, his FIP stands at 4.03 and OBP at .315.

Logan Allen was handed the loss in the Guardians’ defeat to the Tigers after pitching six innings and allowing two runs. The left-hander’s most recent outing was not up to his usual standards, as he has been a reliable starter for the Guardians this season.

So far this season, the Guardians’ has gone deep 96 times, placing them 28th in the league. Over Cleveland’s previous five games, they are 16th in runs scored, with their season average of 4 runs per game putting them 24th in the league. The Guardians’ overall team batting average stands at .249 along with an OBP of .311.

The Guardians’ Steven Kwan is the team’s leader in hits, boasting a .270 batting average. He has a .378 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .339 entering the game.

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

On an overall record of 70-59, the Blue Jays are 3rd in the AL East. On the road, Toronto has put together a record of 38-31 while going 32-28 at home. Against teams with below .500 records, the club has gone 32-32. Overall, the Blue Jays have played in 41 series, going 23-16-2.

Hyun Jin Ryu is off to a stellar start in 2023, boasting an ERA of 1.90 across four outings. His overall record stands at 2-1 as he takes the mound against the Guardians, looking to extend his streak of not giving up a home-run to four games. Opponents have been unable to get much going against him, with a SLG% of .310 and batting average of .211.

The Blue Jays are hoping Hyun Jin Ryu can lead them to another victory, as he was the starter in their last triumph over the Reds (10-3). The southpaw threw five innings of shutout ball, allowing only four hits.

This season, the Blue Jays are 14th in the league at 4.4 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .223 (22nd) leading to 4.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.2 walks per game compared to 8 strikeouts. Toronto’s on-base percentage of .327 has them 5th in the MLB.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been a major contributor to the Blue Jays’ offense this season, boasting a .270 batting average and .440 slugging percentage. Over the last ten games, he has led Toronto with an impressive .356 batting average and is at the top of the leaderboard in hits.