The Boston Red Sox will be battling the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. The Red Sox were defeated by the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 on Sunday to drop to 60-62 this year. Looking at the Blue Jays, they now sit at 65-55 this season after losing to the New York Yankees.
John Winckowski gets the call Tuesday for the Red Sox, sporting a 5-6 record and a 5.19 ERA. The Boston right-hander has been subpar at home this year, sporting a 5.94 ERA at Fenway Park, which could be a concern Tuesday. Winckowski isn't expected to pitch more than five or so innings, though, meaning the bullpen will play a key role.
"Josh Winckowski, Elevated 95mph" - Rob Friedman
The Blue Jays lineup is very talented, but they've gone through ups and downs lately. Last series, they put up 28 on Boston in one game and finished with 40 runs total. While we can't expect that to be the case again, it's safe to say they're pretty comfortable hitting in Fenway Park.
Ross Stripling, who is 4-3 with a 2.77 ERA, is expected to take the mound Tuesday for Toronto. Last time out, he was excellent, going 6 1/3 scoreless frames, giving up one hit, while he K'd seven batters.
Stripling has been great this year despite some injury woes, and he'll be facing a Red Sox lineup that he's had recent success against. Striping is also sporting a great 1.66 ERA in his past four starts, so expect him to put together another good start on Tuesday night.
Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays Match Details
Fixture: Toronto Blue Jays @ Boston Red Sox
Date & Time: Tuesday, August 23, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays Betting Odds
Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays Best Picks
Fenway Park sees more hits than every other ballpark in the league besides Coors Field. When hitters play in Boston, there are 12% more hits than league average. John Winckowski has given up seven hits twice in his last four outings, and the Jays have the joint-highest batting average in the MLB.
Pick: John Winckowski Over 6.5 Hits Allowed (+120)
Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays Betting Prediction
The Blue Jays swept the previous series, and even though they're visiting, the Red Sox have a sub-.500 record at home. Stripling has looked great this year in limited innings, and he has a decent bullpen backing him up. Boston has capable hitters, but the Red Sox pitching staff has let them down all year. Back the visitors to take the first game of this series and keep winning at Fenway.
Prediction: Blue Jays ML (-134)
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