The Toronto Blue Jays will be at home to face the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night. The Blue Jays have been off since Tuesday due to the postponement of their Wednesday game.
They are 60-50 on the season and hold the first Wild Card berth. Meanwhile, the Guardians now find themselves at 59-52 on the year after their 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers to complete the sweep on Thursday. Toronto has been much more comfortable at home this year, as evidenced by their 34-21 record at Rogers Centre.
"BALLGAME! #ForTheLand" - CLEGuardians
Toronto will start Jose Berrios for Friday's contest. He is 8-4 with a 5.19 ERA in 22 starts. Cleveland's offense is averaging only 2.9 runs per game in their last seven, despite winning five of those seven.
Recently, Berrios has been steadier, carrying a 3.89 ERA in his previous six outings, which is a good sign for Jays fans. The Toronto right-hander has also been way better in his home stadium this year, holding a 3.23 ERA in 11 home starts. Toronto has provided Berrios with a ton of run support all year, so if he can have a decent outing, they'll be in good shape.
"José Berríos, Wicked 85mph Changeup." - Rob Friedman
Cal Quantrill, who is 8-5 with a 3.88 ERA, will take the mound Friday for Cleveland. Last start, Quantrill tossed six scoreless frames and gave up just three hits. The Blue Jays offense he'll be up against ranks fourth in runs per game and third in OPS.
Quantrill has a 4.63 expected ERA, meaning that he's gotten lucky so far this year, but it isn't too drastic of a difference from his actual ERA. The Jays have been slightly better versus righties this year, so we'll see if Quantrill can build off of his recent strong performance.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cleveland Guardians Match Details
Fixture: Cleveland Guardians @ Toronto Blue Jays
Date & Time: Friday, August 12, 7:07 p.m. EDT
Venue: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cleveland Guardians Betting Odds
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cleveland Guardians Best Picks
Matt Chapman is slugging .507 against right-handers with low strikeout rates like Quantrill since the start of last season. Over the last month, his OPS is at 1.161, and his OPS at home this year is up to .935. Look for him to produce again on Friday.
Pick: Matt Chapman 2+ Total Bases (+140)
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cleveland Guardians Betting Prediction
The Guardians are on a nice five-game winning streak that they'll look to add to on Friday. However, the Blue Jays have won all 11 of Berrios' home starts this year. They've also averaged six runs per game for him, and this trend should continue as they open a new series. Back Toronto to score a lot and lead after five.
Prediction: Blue Jays First 5 Innings -0.5 (-118) & Blue Jays Team Total Over 4.5 Runs (-115)