The Toronto Blue Jays visit the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park. First pitch is set for 6:45 PM ET. This is the third game of a four-game series, and Toronto has won the first two games by a combined score of 12-3.
Toronto is +117 on the moneyline, while Boston is favored at -126. The total is set at 8.0 runs. The Blue Jays won Tuesday’s game 6-1 and are looking to stay hot behind George Springer, who has been one of the top hitters in the league so far this season.
Red Sox Preview – Houck Aims to Settle Things Down
Boston will start right-hander Tanner Houck, who has a 6.52 ERA in two starts this season. He’s had better results against the Blue Jays in his career, with a 3.41 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 37 innings over eight appearances. Houck will pitch to Carlos Narvaez again, with regular catcher Connor Wong sidelined by injury.
Offensively, Boston has struggled through the first two games of this series, recording just 13 total hits. Jarren Duran and Rafael Devers are the key bats in the lineup, but neither has done much damage yet against Toronto pitching. Alex Bregman was added to the lineup this season to bring experience and power to the middle of the order.
The Red Sox are dealing with a long list of pitching injuries. Starters like Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello, and Kutter Crawford are all on the injured list. Masataka Yoshida is also out, and the outfield depth has been tested. Rookie catcher Carlos Narvaez has hit .300 in limited at-bats but is still adjusting to full-time duties behind the plate.
Blue Jays Preview – Springer Leads the Charge
Toronto has won the first two games of the series and looks to stay on track. George Springer has been the top hitter, batting .459 with nine RBIs through 12 games. He homered again Tuesday and has reached base multiple times in four straight games.
Kevin Gausman gets the start for Toronto. He has a 3.97 ERA and is coming off a rough outing where he didn’t record a strikeout. In his career, he is 9-10 with a 4.40 ERA in 31 appearances against the Red Sox. Gausman said he needs to get ahead in the count to be more effective with his splitter.
Toronto’s lineup has been steady. Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are both off to solid starts. Anthony Santander has added power, and Davis Schneider has filled in well at second base. The pitching staff is missing a few arms like Alek Manoah and Erik Swanson, but the bullpen has held up behind strong relief work from Chad Green and Jacob Barnes.
Betting Prediction
Boston is favored but hasn’t shown much life at the plate. The Blue Jays are hitting well and have the better recent form. Gausman’s past struggles vs Boston are a concern, but the offense is in a strong rhythm and should help back him up.
Springer’s hot bat and a deep lineup give Toronto the edge, especially if Houck continues to allow baserunners. Look for the Blue Jays to keep things rolling and possibly sweep the series. A lower-scoring game is likely again if both starters settle in early.
Pick: Toronto Blue Jays +117
