Game three of this American League series sees the Blue Jays (71-59, 33-28 home) and Guardians (61-69, 28-36 away) facing off at Rogers Centre. The starting pitcher for the Blue Jays will be Yusei Kikuchi, while the Guardians are turning to Noah Syndergaard. Find out who I like to win in this Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Guardians showdown.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS VS TORONTO BLUE JAYS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cleveland Guardians +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Rogers Centre at 1:37 ET on Sunday, August 27th.

WHY BET THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS:

  • Against the runline, the Blue Jays have gone just 2-3 in their last five home games.
  • Over their last three games as the favorite, the Blue Jays are just 1-2 against the runline.
  • In Noah Syndergaard’s five most recent starts, the Guardians are 2-1.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

On a record of 61-69, the Guardians come into today’s game 2nd in the AL Central. When playing at home, they are 33-33 and 28-36 on the road. Cleveland has played in 41 series thus far, and have gone 16-21-4.

Noah Syndergaard will take the mound for the Guardians with a 2-6 record over 17 appearances. His ERA is 6.42, K/9 is 5.77, FIP is 5.91, and OBP is .321 thus far in 2023.

Noah Syndergaard provided the Guardians with a quality start in his previous outing, surrendering three runs on four hits over six innings. Unfortunately, he was not rewarded for his efforts as the team went on to win 8-3 against the Dodgers without factoring into the decision.

This season, the Guardians are 27th in the league at 4 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .227 (19th) leading to 4 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 2.8 walks per game compared to 7 strikeouts. Cleveland’s on-base percentage of .310 has them 15th in the MLB.

José Ramírez has been a key contributor to the Guardians’ offense this season, leading the team with 20 home runs. The slugger has also maintained a .278 batting average over the last five games, during which he has hit two long balls.

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

Heading into today’s game, the Blue Jays are 3rd in the AL East with an overall record of 71-59. When looking at their performance in their 41 series, Toronto is 23-16-2. Against below .500 teams, the Blue Jays are 33-33 while going 38-31 on the road and 33-28 at home.

Yusei Kikuchi has been a bright spot for the Blue Jays this season, boasting an impressive 9-4 record in 25 appearances. His ERA is 3.52, and his K/9 figure stands at 9.34. He also has a FIP of 4.24 and an OBP of .296.

In his most recent outing against the Orioles, Yusei Kikuchi allowed three runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings. Although he didn’t earn a decision, the Blue Jays were able to secure a 6-3 win thanks to his efforts.

As a team, Toronto has scuffled at the plate of late, with a combined batting average of just .211 over their last ten games. Compared to other teams, this is just 25th 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 151 times (17th). Overall, the Blue Jays are 17th in the MLB at 4.5 runs per contest.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been a key contributor to the Toronto offense this season, boasting a .269 batting average and .437 slugging percentage. In the team’s last ten games, Guerrero Jr. has been on fire, leading the Blue Jays in hits and batting an impressive .319.