The Toronto Blue Jays (22-26) travel to face off against the Detroit Tigers (23-26) on Thursday, May 23rd. This game will be played at Comerica Park in Detroit and televised on BSDET. The Blue Jays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Tigers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Royals. First pitch is set for 6:40 ET.
Blue Jays vs Tigers
The Blue Jays’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the White Sox, closing out their series with a 9-2 win. After a seven-run 2nd inning, the Blue Jays really didn’t need to do much else, as the White Sox could only score two runs, both of which came in the 4th.
Chris Bassitt put together a good start for the Blue Jays, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He also issued just two walks and struck out four White Sox batters. Bo Bichette was hot at the plate, going 2/4 with a homer and three RBIs.
Toronto is 5th in the AL East, trailing the Yankees by 10.5 games. Overall, they are 22-26 and have gone 7-8 against other teams in the AL East. The Blue Jays are on the road today, taking on the Tigers, and they are 10.5 games behind the Rays for the second Wild Card spot.
At home, the Blue Jays are an even 12-12 this year, and they are 10-14 on the road. So far, they have gone 17-13 as the favorite and 5-13 as the underdog. The Blue Jays’ overall series record is 5-8-3, and they won their most recent series vs. the White Sox.
The Blue Jays have been a good bet against the run line on the road this season, going 12-12. They have covered the run line in three straight road games and have an average run differential of -1.1 runs per game away from home. Toronto’s overall run line record is 22-26, with an average run differential of -0.8 runs per game.
Despite the Toronto Blue Jays’ combined run average of 8.4, the over/under line for today’s game against the Detroit Tigers is set at 7.5. The Blue Jays have a 20-27 over/under record on the season, and when the line is set at 7.5, they are 6-5. Overall, 70.8% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 7.5, with an average line of 8 runs per game.
Kevin Gausman Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Toronto is sending Kevin Gausman to the mound today vs. the Tigers, and he comes in with a record of 2-3 and an ERA of 4.89. Gausman’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.51. In his nine starts, he has turned in three quality starts and is averaging 9.14 strikeouts per nine innings. Gausman’s last outing came vs. the Rays, where he went six innings, giving up three earned runs, and finished with a no-decision. He has not taken the loss in any of his last three outings.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Blue Jays are averaging just 3.8 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and team batting average. However, they do have a few guys who have been swinging the bat well of late, including Bo Bichette, who has gone 12/32 in his last nine games. Daulton Varsho has gone deep in two of his last nine games but is batting only .176 during that stretch.
For the season, Daulton Varsho leads the Blue Jays with eight home runs, but he is batting just .212. Davis Schneider and Danny Jansen are both batting in the mid-200s and have five homers apiece. Jansen’s five homers is 13th in the league right now.
The Tigers will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Royals with an 8-3 loss. Detroit was actually the slight favorite on the money line going into the game but fell behind big early, as the Royals scored four times in the second.
Tarik Skubal took the loss, going five innings and giving up four earned runs on six hits. He also issued two walks and hit a batter. The Tigers’ offense scored their only three runs in the of the 2nd, with Andy Ibanez driving in two runs with a double.
Detroit is 23-26 overall and trails the Guardians by 9.5 games in the AL Central. The Tigers have lost four straight games, and their losing streak came after winning three straight. In the AL Central, they are 10-9 in division games.
At home, the Tigers are 10-13 this year and 13-13 on the road. As the underdog, the Tigers are 11-15 this season, and they are 12-11 when favored. So far, they have an overall series record of 7-7-2, and they have lost two straight series at home.
When the Tigers are at home, they have a run line record of 6-17. Their average run margin is -0.7 runs per game. They have failed to cover the run line in four straight games at home. As the favorite, they are just 5-18 against the run line, while they are 16-10 as the underdog. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.4 runs per game.
The Detroit Tigers are at home against the Toronto Blue Jays today, and the over/under line for the game is set at 7.5 runs. The Tigers have been involved in high-scoring games this season, as their games have averaged 8.2 runs per game. Overall, the over has hit in 26 of their 47 games this season, and when the over/under line has been set at 7.5 runs, the over has hit in 9 of 15 games.
Jack Flaherty Gets The Start For The Tigers
Jack Flaherty has made nine starts this year and has a record of 1-3 with an ERA of 3.79. In his nine starts, he has turned in seven quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he gave up just two earned runs. Against the Diamondbacks on May 18th, Flaherty pitched six innings, picked up the win, and had nine strikeouts. Looking back over his last three starts, Flaherty has given up two earned runs in each outing. The right-hander has a WHIP of 1.06 and is averaging 11.85 strikeouts per nine innings.
Tigers Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Tigers are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. They have been a bit better on the road, averaging 4.5 runs per contest. Detroit’s offense has been led by Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter, who have 9 and 6 homers, respectively. Carpenter also leads the team with 25 RBIs and is batting .281 for the season.
Colt Keith has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/16 in his last five games. This includes two RBIs. He is also on a four-game hitting streak. Kerry Carpenter has also been swinging the bat well, going 4/12 in his last five games with a home run and three RBIs.
Blue Jays vs Tigers Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Blue Jays vs. Tigers matchup is to take the Blue Jays on the money line, with the payout currently at -115. We have the Blue Jays winning this one by a final of 5-4.
Looking at today’s starters, we have Kevin Gausman finishing with six strikeouts, and Jack Flaherty ending with six as well. However, we have Flaherty going fewer innings than Gausman, and he is also projected to give up more runs.
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:May 23, 2024 Blue Jays, Tigers