Blue Jays vs Red Sox Preview: AL East Teams Battle For Playoff Spots

Toronto, Boston in Fight For Wild Card Berths

August 4, 2023 108 3 minutes readMLB Picks & Parlays

Blue Jays vs Red Sox Preview: AL East Teams Battle For Playoff Spots — Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images/AFP

The Toronto Blue Jays visit the Boston Red Sox for a critical three-game series beginning Friday. Toronto is clinging to a wild card spot. The Red Sox are just two games out of it, as all five teams are in playoff contention. The Blue Jays vs Red Sox preview notes both teams are coming into this series off of losses in their previous game.

The Blue Jays will send Alek Manoah to the mound. Since the Blue Jays recalled him, Toronto has won three of his four starts. The Jays are 7-10 when he starts this season.

The Red Sox will send James Paxton to the hill. Paxton is 6-2 with a 3.34 ERA. Thanks to poor relief pitching, Boston is just 6-7 when Paxton starts. The Red Sox are -155, and the total on the game is 10.5 flat. Toronto is 11-9 against left-handed pitchers this season. The Blue Jays +1.5 is -145 on the run line.

Toronto is No. 6 in team batting average, while the Red Sox are even better at No. 4. The Blue Jays don’t always make the most of their hits and are No. 15 in runs scored. Boston is No. 8. Toronto is No. 15 in home runs, while Boston is No. 19.

The Blue Jays have gotten decent pitching this season and rank No. 5 in team ERA. The Red Sox are No. 17, but Boston’s relief pitchers are 31 of 40 in save opportunities. Toronto is 37 for 50 in converting saves.

Only two games separate the two teams, so it’s a big series regarding playoff implications. The MLB power rankings also have the two teams rated extremely close to one another.

Friday’s Game

The MLB odds on Paxton are a little on the high side. But you can see the justification since Manoah has some unsightly numbers on the season. Paxton has been a better pitcher at home this season with a 2.25 ERA. Manoah has a better ERA on the road, so you could make a case for the under.

Boston is just 22-27 after a loss this season, so there’s a bit of value on Toronto. It’s just a question of how much you trust Manoah in this spot.

Saturday’s Game

The Jays vs Red Sox preview shows Jose Berrios as the starter for Toronto. Boston hasn’t officially named a starting pitcher yet. Brennan Bernardino has followed Paxton in the rotation the past two times. But Bernardino is only a pitcher who will get you an inning or two.

That can’t be said for Berrios, who is 8-7 with a 3.31 ERA. The Blue Jays are 13-9 when Berrios starts and allow 3.59 runs per game. Toronto has gone 7-11-4 in totals with him on the mound.

Bernardino last pitched on July 30, so he’s had a few days to rest, and he makes sense. Although the Red Sox could be waiting to see how much the bullpen gets used in Friday’s game before making any decisions.

Sunday’s Game

The Blue Jays vs Red Sox preview shows it’s more of the same as far as the Red Sox go. Boston hasn’t named its starter for the series finale here. Toronto is scheduled to start Chris Bassitt, who has been decent this season. Bassitt is 10-6 with a 4.00 ERA and the Blue Jays have gone 13-10 when he starts, although they’ve dropped his last two.

He’s pitched better at home this season, and Toronto allows 5.42 runs per game when he starts on the road.

The Red Sox could go with Nick Pivetta or stick with him in the bullpen. The Red Sox probably want to keep Toronto guessing and see how many innings the bullpen is used in the first two baseball games before deciding on a pitcher. Bassitt’s away numbers make it hard to play Toronto here. The value will likely be on Boston or the over in this game.