Boston Red Sox (57-52) vs Toronto Blue Jays (61-50)
Game Info: Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 4:10 pm (Fenway Park)
() () vs Jose Berrios (8-7) (3.31)
Betting Odds: Boston Red Sox / Toronto Blue Jays --- Over/Under: Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Boston Red Sox will host the Toronto Blue Jays for game two of their divisional series this Saturday from Fenway Park on FS1. Toronto walked away with an upset victory in game one, 7-3.
Blue Jays Preview & Projected Starter
Toronto enters at 61-50 after defeating Boston. The Blue Jays had Alex Manoah’s back at the plate last night, and they’ll attempt to double down here in game two. The Toronto offense is scoring 4.85 runs per game, while batting .262, with a .331 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 3.80 ERA, with a 1.26 WHIP.
Jose Berrios (8-7, 3.39 ERA, 114 Ks) will get the ball for Toronto. The eighth-year righty completed a solid month of action last time out against the Angels, striking out six over six full innings, while allowing just one run. Berrios allowed two runs or less in five starts during July, but he was criminally unable to earn any winning decisions due to the struggles in Toronto. Berrios is currently posting a career-low in ERA, but he’ll be looking to avenge his toughest outing of the season (5.1, 5 ER) in his return to Fenway here.
Blue Jays Player Trends & Props
• Vlad Guerrero Jr. powered the game one win with a double and home runs last night, and he leads Toronto in RBI (69), with eighteen homers.
• Matt Chapman also went yard last night with a two-run shot, and he’s posting splits of .256/15/46 for the season.
• Whit Merrifield joined the festivities with a homer, and after recording a hit in eight of the previous ten games, he’s batting .300, with ten home runs and 51 RBI.
• George Springer has returned to life by producing a run in two of the last three games, and he’s posting a line of .246/13/44.
Red Sox Preview & Projected Starter
Boston moved to 57-52 after losing to Toronto. The Red Sox pitched poorly again last night, and they’ll look to avoid a third straight defeat here. The Boston offense is 4.18 scoring runs per game, while batting .264, with a .331 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.89 ERA, with a 1.34 WHIP.
Boston has yet to name a starter, indicating it may be a bullpen day.
Red Sox Player Trends & Props
• Rafael Devers has reached base in eight of the last ten games, and he’s first on the team in HR (25) and RBI (76).
• Justin Turner has missed the last three games, and his status will definitely be worth monitoring prior to first pitch. Turner is posting splits of .286/17/71, with 112 hits.
• Jarren Duran has homered in consecutive games, after recording a hit in nine of the last ten games, he leads Boston in batting with a lucky .317, and 41 runs batted in.
• Masataka Yoshida has collected a hit in three straight games, and he’s leads the Sox in hits (114), with splits of .305/12/54.
Corey’s Free Pick
Boston’s trending in the wrong direction right now, in the toughest division in sports, so they’ll have to show some fight Saturday, or they might find themselves in last place. It’s hard to trust any pitching Boston right now, so it will have to come from their bats, and with Justin Turner still out of the lineup, they come into a tough spot in game two. Jose Berrios’ rapport at Fenway is also discouraging for the Jays, so I like targeting the total in this spot. Take the Over for this AL East battle.
Corey’s Pick Over
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
Mitch's Take...
