The Toronto Blue Jays (12-6, 6-2 home) look to notch its third win in a row against the Boston Red Sox (7-11, 4-7 away) in game three of a four-game series on Wednesday night. Toronto took the series opener, 6-2, and knocked off the Red Sox in extra inning on Tuesday night, 6-5.
The first pitch of Wednesday’s contest is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. EST inside the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Toronto is favored in the AL East matchup (-145), and the over-under run total is nine.
What to Know – Boston Red Sox
The struggling Red Sox have dropped four in a row and six of their last seven contests. Boston has tumbled to fourth place in the AL East standings, five games back of the leading Blue Jays.
Boston turns to right-hander Michael Wacha (1-0, 1.88 ERA, 0.91 WHIP) to try and get the Red Sox back into the win column. Wacha has been magnificent on the hill this year, limiting opponents to just three earned runs over 14.1 innings. The 30-year-old allowed a pair of solo home runs in his last outing, surrendering two earned runs over five innings while picking up his first win.
The Red Sox are 20th in the majors with a .226 team batting average, scoring 3.6 runs per game. Boston’s pitching staff also ranks 20th in the MLB with a 3.87 team earned run average.
Outfielder Alex Verdugo paces the Red Sox offense with three home runs and 13 runs driven in through the first month of play. Third baseman Rafael Devers also has a trio of longballs with right RBI and 12 runs scored.
What to Know – Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto is off to a hot start through April, winning six of its last seven and shooting to the top of the division. The Blue Jays own a half-game advantage over the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Right-hander Ross Stripling (0-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) is tabbed as the probable starter for the Blue Jays. Stripling has logged two starts this year, logging 10.0 innings of work over four appearances. The 32-year-old allowed three earned runs over four inning in his last start.
Toronto ranks fifth in the majors with a .252 team batting average, plating 4.3 runs per game. The Blue Jays’ pitching staff has a 3.54 ERA, good enough for 14th in the league.
The Blue Jays’ have hitters up and down their lineup, with five starters already with double-digit RBI. Outfielder Valdimir Guerrero Jr. leads the pack with 12 RBI thanks to five home runs and a .328 batting average. Fellow outfielder George Springer has added four round-trippers and eight RBI.
The Pick is In
The Blue Jays had the Red Sox number in the first two outings, but Boston’s lineup is too good to drop a third-straight to a divisional rival.
Wacha continues his impressive start to the season on the mound, and the Red Sox offense gets key hitting from the heart of their order.
Betting Pick: Boston Red Sox ML
