The Toronto Blue Jays (35-41) travel to face off against the Cleveland Guardians (48-26) on Sunday, June 23rd. This game will be played at Progressive Field in Cleveland and televised on MLBN. The Guardians are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blue Jays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Guardians. First pitch is set for 12:40 CT.
Blue Jays vs Guardians
Cleveland picked up a 6-3 win over the Blue Jays in the most recent game of this series. The Guardians had a two-run lead after the first inning and added two more in the 2nd. As for the Blue Jays, they scored their first run in the 2nd and added their final two in the 5th.
Ben Lively only went 5 2/3 innings for the Guardians but gave up just two hits and two earned runs. He finished the game with four strikeouts but issued two walks. Emmanuel Clase closed things out for Cleveland.
Jose Berrios had a rough outing for the Blue Jays, taking the loss after going just five innings and giving up five runs. He finished the game with three strikeouts but allowed three home runs.
Toronto is on a five-game losing streak and is 15.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. Overall, the Blue Jays are 35-41 and have gone just 9-13 against other AL East teams. The Blue Jays’ losing streak has come as the road team, and they are 17-22 on the road this year.
As the favorite, the Blue Jays are 29-20 this year compared to 6-21 as the underdog. Toronto has dropped two straight games as the favorite. Heading into today’s game vs. the Guardians, the Blue Jays are just 18-19 at home.
When it comes to the run line, the Blue Jays are a team that has been tough to predict this season. They are 34-42 on the run line overall, but they have been better on the road, going 21-18. They have gone 13-24 on the run line at home, and they are currently on a two-game run line losing streak on the road. They have been favored in 49 games and have gone 23-26 on the run line in those games.
When the Blue Jays are on the road, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs for their game against the Guardians. Toronto’s games have averaged 8.3 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 32-41. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, and when the line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 7-15. Only 10.5% of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 8.5 runs.
Yusei Kikuchi Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi gets the start for the Blue Jays today as he faces the Guardians on the road. Kikuchi has made 15 starts this season and has a record of 4-6 with a 3.65 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Kikuchi has a WHIP of 1.25 and has issued just 2.1 walks per nine innings compared to 9.18 strikeouts. The last time he took the mound, Kikuchi gave up five earned runs in four innings of work, taking the loss. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Blue Jays offense has been one of the worst in the league, averaging just 3.8 runs per game, which is 27th in the MLB. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and have a collective batting average of just .232. One area where they have been good is in terms of plate discipline, as they are 6th in the league in walks and have the 2nd fewest strikeouts in the league.
Davis Schneider and Daulton Varsho have been the team’s top power threats this season, as Varsho leads the team with 11 homers, and Schneider is right behind him with 10. Schneider has gone deep three times in his last nine games while batting .241 in that stretch. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 11/32 in his last 10 games, and he is currently on a seven-game hitting streak.
Cleveland is currently 48-26 overall, putting them in 1st place in the AL Central. They lead the Twins by 7.5 games for the top spot in the division. The Guardians have won four straight games, and they are 16-6-2 in series this year.
The Guardians have taken the first two games of this series vs. the Blue Jays, and they are 6-4 across their last 10 games. At home, Cleveland is 25-9 this year and 23-17 on the road. So far, they have been really good in day games, going 19-8.
When playing at home, the Cleveland Guardians have been a solid bet against the run line, going 20-14. Their average run differential at home is +1.5 runs per game, and they are currently on a four-game run line win streak at home. As the underdog, they have been especially profitable, going 18-7 against the run line.
Oddsmakers have set the over/under line at 8.5 runs for the Cleveland Guardians’ home game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Cleveland’s games have averaged 8.7 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 35-33. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, their record is 7-11. So far this season, 20.3% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs.
Triston McKenzie Gets The Start For The Guardians
Triston McKenzie will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Mariners, as he only went 2 1/3 innings in the start and took the loss. In that outing, he gave up four earned runs, three hits, and issued four walks. Looking back over his last four starts, McKenzie has finished with a no-decision in three of them. His ERA for the season is 4.48, along with a record of 3-4. Opponents are batting .221 off the right-hander this season. McKenzie has made 14 starts, and his WHIP for the season is 1.46.
Guardians Offense Breakdown
Will Brennan has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Guardians, going 8/19 in his last five games with two homers. Overall, he is batting .256 with eight home runs. Brennan is also currently on a three-game hitting streak. Josh Naylor and José Ramirez are tied for the team lead with 19 homers, with Ramirez’s 67 RBIs being the best mark in the league so far.
As a team, the Guardians are 3rd in the league in scoring at 5 runs per game. They have been especially good at home, averaging 5.1 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .243 and have the 6th best on-base percentage in the league. Cleveland’s offense is also one of the best in the league at avoiding strikeouts.
Blue Jays vs Guardians Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Blue Jays vs. Guardians game is to take the Guardians on the money line, with the payout being -112. We actually have the Guardians winning this one by a score of 6-5, giving you some options if you want to look at the over/under line, as the line is currently sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Triston McKenzie finishing with six strikeouts compared to Yusei Kikuchi with five. McKenzie is projected to go just five innings, while Kikuchi is projected to go six. However, McKenzie has a better chance of picking up the win, as he ranks 17th compared to Kikuchi at seventh.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:June 24, 2024 Blue Jays, Guardians