Getting the start for the Blue Jays (64-50, 34-26 away) will be Yusei Kikuchi against Tanner Bibee for the Guardians (54-59, 29-27 home). Today marks game two of their series, with the Blue Jays currently holding the 1-0 lead. Read on to see my best bet for this Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cleveland Guardians matchup.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS VS CLEVELAND GUARDIANS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Toronto Blue Jays -124

This game will be played at Progressive Field at 7:10 ET on Tuesday, August 8th.

WHY BET THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS:

  • The Blue Jays will be taking on a Guardians club that is just 2-8 over their last ten games.
  • As the road underdog, the Blue Jays’ win streak currently stands at three games.
  • In Yusei Kikuchi’s three most recent starts, the Blue Jays are 2-1.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS ON THE ROAD

Coming in with an overall record of 64-50, the Blue Jays are winners of five straight games. Through 36 series, they are 22-14 and in 3rd place in the AL East. At home, they have gone 30-24 compared to 34-26 on the road.

The Blue Jays will turn to Yusei Kikuchi as their starter, who has been impressive this season with a 9-3 record in 22 appearances. His ERA stands at 3.67, and he has a K/9 of 9.29, FIP of 4.67, and OBP of .304.

The Blue Jays emerged victorious the last time Yusei Kikuchi toed the rubber, besting the Orioles 4-1. The left-hander pitched six frames, surrendering six hits and one earned run while earning his fourth win of the season.

The Blue Jays have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 8 home runs over their last five games. Compared to other clubs, this is 6th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 13th in home runs and 9th in slugging percentage. Overall, Toronto is averaging 4.6 runs per game (13th).

Brandon Belt has been a key contributor to the Toronto offense this season, boasting a .254 batting average and .454 slugging percentage. In the last ten games, he has been especially impressive, leading the team in hits and hitting at a .302 clip.

WILL THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Guardians take on the Blue Jays with the hopes of snapping their three game losing streak. This recent skid has their record sitting at 54-59, putting them 2nd in the AL Central. When looking at their overall series numbers, they have gone 16-18-2. At home, they are 29-27 and 25-32.

Tanner Bibee has been a key contributor to the Guardians’ success this season, boasting an impressive 7-2 record in 17 appearances. His ERA stands at 3.14, while his K/9 is 9.03 and FIP is 3.87. Bibee has also kept opposing batters to a .295 OBP.

Tanner Bibee’s last outing with the Guardians resulted in a no-decision, as he pitched five innings and allowed two runs on seven hits in the 3-2 loss to the Astros.

This season, the Guardians are 25th in the league at 4.1 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .218 (20th) leading to 2.8 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 2.9 walks per game compared to 6 strikeouts. Cleveland’s on-base percentage of .313 has them 16th in the MLB.

Andrés Giménez has been a bright spot for the Guardians’ offense over their last five games, leading the team with hits and batting .250. So far this season, Giménez has put up a .235 average and 42 RBIs.