Houston Astros vs Toronto Blue Jays Prediction & Match Preview - April 29th

Houston Astros vs Toronto Blue Jays Prediction & Match Preview - April 29th | MLB Season 2022

Modified Apr 28, 2022 13:49 GMT

Jeremy Peña walks off against the Toronto Blue Jays

The last time the Houston Astros squared off against the Toronto Blue Jays, rookie sensation Jeremy Peña walked off in style. The young stud blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning against Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano.

They will now meet again after a quick series with the Astros against the Texas Rangers and the Blue Jays against the Boston Red Sox. At the time of writing, the Astros now have a 9-9 record, while the Blue Jays at 12-7, have surrendered the top spot in the American League East to the New York Yankees.

Match Details

Fixture: Houston Astros vs Toronto Blue Jays.

Date & Time: Friday, April 29, 7:07 p.m. EDT.

Venue: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Houston Astros Preview

The Astros have won three of their last four games and are looking to build momentum. They will face the Blue Jays for the fourth time this season, but this time, they will head north of the border.

Neither their pitching nor their batting are spectacular at the moment, but inch by inch, they are clawing out and producing performances just enough for hard-earned wins. It will be a tougher assignment this time, however, as they will face the Blue Jays on their home stage.

Key Player - Michael Brantley

Uncle Mike has been a stable and consistent bat in the Astros' batting order. He's batting .303/.352/.439 with 20 base hits and seven RBIs so far. And just in case you forgot what he did the last time the Astros faced Toronto starter Yusei Kikuchi, here is a little reminder:

Expand Tweet

"Michael Brantley is one of the most underrated players in baseball. Mr Consistency. Uncle Mike." - @ Ben Verlander

He will be heavily relied upon to produce in this matchup against the Japanese pitcher.

Houston Astros Projected Lineup

Starting Pitcher - Jose Urquidy.

Chris McCormick, CF
Michael Brantley, LF
Alex Bregman, 3B
Yordan Alvarez, DH
Yuli Gurriel, 1B
Kyle Tucker, RF
Aledmys Diaz, 2B
Jeremy Peña, SS
Martin Maldonado, C

Toronto Blue Jays Preview

At the time of writing, the Toronto Blue Jays were just upset by the Boston Red Sox scoring only once against a brilliant Michael Wacha display. The game finished 7-1 in favor of Boston, who are looking to build momentum after a tough start to the season.

The good thing about the Jays' matchup against the Houston Astros is that they've so far had their number, albeit in close contests. Toronto has a 2-1 lead against the Astros in their season series so far. If they can stifle Houston's momentum, the Blue Jays might eke out a victory again.

Key Player - Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Vladdy Jr. hasn't hit a homer since April 15. However, he is keeping his bat warm. He is tied for fifth place for the most RBIs in the American League with 13. He also boasts a slash line of .309/.380/.559 in 68 at-bats this season.

Expand Tweet

"We need to talk about how Vladimir Guerrero Jr. runs now…" - @ Sid Seixeiro

Guerrero Jr. is in a mini-slump, but don't you worry. If there's anyone who can break out of a slump, it's the 2021 American League MVP runner-up.

Toronto Blue Jays Projected Lineup

Starting Pitcher - Yusei Kikuchi.

George Springer, CF
Bo Bichette, SS
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
Lourdes Gurriel, LF
Zach Collins, DH
Matt Chapman, 3B
Alejandro Kirk, C
Raimel Tapia, RF
Santiago Espinal, 2B

Houston Astros vs Toronto Blue Jays Prediction

The three games where these two American League behemoths have been closely contested this season. It ended with 4-3, 3-2, and 7-8 in favor of Toronto. We expect nothing but an exhilirating game but we have to give the edge to the Jays for their better and higher octane offense. Toronto wins, 5-4.