Sports
Blue Jays vs. Twins series preview: New faces set to arrive in Toronto clubhouse – Sportsnet.ca
The Toronto Blue Jays will meet up with their four deadline acquisitions on Thursday in Minnesota before starting a four-game series against the new-look Twins.
Relievers Anthony Bass and Zach Pop, infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield and right-hander Mitch White are expected to join the team after being acquired in deals on Tuesday.
With outfielder George Springer battling a lingering elbow injury and right-hander Ross Stripling placed on the IL with a glute/hip strain on Wednesday, Merrifield and White figure to be needed this weekend.
Bass and Pop, meanwhile, should help a Blue Jays bullpen that is short on high-leverage arms.
Much of the pre-game attention will be on Merrifield, who is sure to be asked about his vaccination status after he missed a trip to Toronto with the Kansas City Royals last month.
Here’s a look at the Blue Jays-Twins series.
Probable pitchers
Thursday, 7:40 p.m. ET / 4:40 p.m. PT: Toronto RHP Alek Manoah (11-5, 2.43 ERA) vs. Minnesota RHP Sonny Gray (6-3, 3.41 ERA)
Friday, 8:10 p.m. ET / 5:10 p.m. PT: Toronto RHP Jose Berrios (8-4, 4.96 ERA) vs. Minnesota TBD
Saturday, 7:10 p.m. ET / 4:10 p.m. PT: Toronto TBD vs. Minnesota RHP Dylan Bundy (6-5, 5.04 ERA)
Sunday, 2:10 p.m. ET / 11:10 a.m. PT: Toronto TBD vs. Minnesota RHP Chris Archer (2-5, 4.05 ERA)
(All games on Sportsnet)
Latest on the Blue Jays
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The Blue Jays (58-46) settled for a split of a mini-series at Tampa after a 3-2 loss to the Rays on Wednesday.
Yusei Kikuchi, in his second start back from a stint on the IL, looked good at first before the Rays got to the inconsistent lefty for one run in the third and another in the fourth. That was enough for Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider, who gave Kikuchi the hook after 74 pitches.
Offensively, the Blue Jays managed just four hits. Teoscar Hernandez was the bright spot with a solo home run and RBI double.
Before the game, Schneider said White, acquired from the Dodgers, is a candidate to start on Saturday in Stripling’s place.
Kevin Gausman would be in line to start Sunday’s game, though Toronto hasn’t named a starter yet. He pitched a gem on Tuesday, allowing just one hit and no runs in eight innings as Toronto won 3-1.
Toronto is in the first wild-card spot, two games ahead of the Seattle Mariners.
Latest on the Twins
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The AL Central-leading Twins (55-49) were buyers at the deadline, and three of their new players made an immediate impact on Wednesday.
Jorge Lopez, acquired from the Baltimore Orioles, nailed down his 20th save of the year in his Twins debut as Minnesota beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1.
Fellow reliever Michael Fulmer, acquired from Detroit, pitched a scoreless sixth against his old team, while catcher Sandy Leon, acquired from the Cleveland Guardians, had a two-run double as Minnesota won the series 2-1.
Minnesota is one game ahead of Cleveland for top spot in the AL Central. The Guardians and the Chicago White Sox, who are two games back of Minnesota, weren’t nearly as active as the Twins at the deadline.
The other new guy
The Twins also upgraded their starting rotation at the deadline, acquiring Tyler Mahle from the Cincinnati Reds.
The right-hander is 5-7 with a 4.40 ERA this season.
The Twins haven’t named a starter for Friday and Mahle hasn’t pitched since July 30, so that is the likely spot for his Minnesota debut. It would be an intriguing pitching matchup with ex-Twin Jose Berrios lined up to start for Toronto.
With their team ERA 19th in the majors, pitching was a priority for the Twins, who haven’t won a playoff game since 2004. By picking up Mahle, Fulmer and Lopez, they have improved on the mound and should be poised to make their third post-season appearance in four years.
Mahle did not make the trip to Toronto with the Reds in May because of vaccination status, so his status for any games at Rogers Centre in the playoffs could be in question.
Season series
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The Twins won two of three in Toronto in June, hammering Blue Jays pitchers for 20 combined runs.
Gausman didn’t get out of the fourth inning in an 8-6 loss in the series finale, while Kikuchi (who doesn’t pitch this series) was roughed up in the opener (a 9-3 loss).
Berrios got the win against his old team in the second game, striking out 13 in seven innings in a 12-3 victory.
Up next
The Blue Jays are in Baltimore for three games against an Orioles team that was a seller at the trade deadline, despite being in wild-card contention.
TSN.ca Staff
Toronto Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider said Monday the team is weighing their options when it comes to struggling starter Yusei Kikuchi.
Kikuchi saw his record drop to 4-7 on the season with Monday’s 7-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, in which he allowed six runs – three earned – in 3 1/3 innings of work. The 31-year-old is winless in his past three starts and has a 5.25 ERA through 20 games this season.
“Everything’s on the table right now,” Schneider said, per MLB.com. “We just want him to continue to focus on the things he’s working on. But having options and having other guys that can step into roles is a good thing. And we’ll figure that out in the next couple days.”
Kikuchi spent three weeks on the injured list last month with a neck strain. He delivered a strong outing in his return in July 28 against the Tigers, allowing one run and two hits over five innings, and held the Tampa Bay Rays to two runs in four innings on Aug. 3, but has allowed 11 runs over his past two starts.
“There are a few things that we’ve been working on, trying to figure out what’s good and what’s bad,” Kikuchi said through an interpreter after Monday’s loss. “I feel like we’re just caught in between the ups and downs right now.”
Schneider was non-committal on what changes the team could make to help Kikuchi find his way.
“There’s always a scenario for everything,” Schneider said. “Off-days play into it; performance plays into it. It’s a welcome addition to have (Ross) Stripling back and I love what Mitch White has done as well. You can go a variety of different ways. We’re just going to continue to keep our options open.”
The Blue Jays dropped to 61-53 with Monday’s loss and now sit tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the second wild-card spot, a game and a half ahead of the Orioles, who they will play again on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Orioles have been a thorn in the Blue Jays’ sides all season. As such, even with Alek Manoah on the mound, Toronto at -235 is simply too steep to offer any value. We’re pivoting to focus more on the total in what could be a low-scoring clash.
The Baltimore Orioles moved to 9-4 in the month of August with a 7-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.
In Tuesday night’s matchup, Toronto looks for revenge as Alek Manoah battles Dean Kremer on the mound.
This is an important series in a crowded AL playoff race. Toronto is currently tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the second Wild Card, leaving Baltimore 1.5 games back.
Check out our MLB picks and predictions for the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, August 16.
Orioles vs Blue Jays odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Blue Jays opened -215, but money has come on them and widened the line, which currently resides between -213 and -235, with most books closer to the latter. As for the total, both 8.5 and 9 are available at the time of this writing.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until first pitch and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
Orioles vs Blue Jays predictions
Picks made on 8/16/2022 at 8:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Orioles vs Blue Jays game info
• Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
• Date: Tuesday, August 16, 2022
• First pitch: 7:07 p.m. ET
• TV: MASN, Sportsnet
Orioles vs Blue Jays betting preview
Starting pitchers
Dean Kremer (4-4, 3.70 ERA): In Kremer’s first extended stay in the show, he compiled an ugly 7.55 ERA across 13 starts in 2021. It’s safe to say things have gone better for the right-hander this go around as indicated by his 3.69 ERA. His 4.87 xERA is a concern and his 6.4% barrel rate is too high to trust considering he pitches to contact.
Alek Manoah (12-5, 2.56 ERA): Toronto found a good one in Manoah. Despite being just 24 years old, he’s been one of the better pitchers in MLB this season. His 2.56 ERA is fantastic, although his 3.44 xERA does indicate that some regression might be incoming. His strikeout rate (22.4%) is down over five percentage points from last season, but he’s countered that by lowering his walk rate by three percentage points to 5.6%.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Betting trend to know
Toronto is 9-2 in its last 11 games on astroturf. Find more MLB betting trends for Orioles vs. Blue Jays
Orioles vs Blue Jays picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
With these teams so close in the AL East and Wild Card standings, it’s fair to question whether or not this line is too wide. After all, these divisional foes have played seven times this season and Baltimore has won five times — yet the Orioles are a significant +195 underdog at most books.
The pitching discrepancy is the most likely answer. Manoah has been fantastic, compiling a 2.56 ERA, while Kremer’s 4.87 xERA and 6.4% barrel rate don’t instill much confidence.
Still, Manoah has faced the Orioles twice in 2022 and his team is 1-1 during those games. He tossed a beautiful one-hit, seven-strikeout, blanking of the Orioles back on June 13, but allowed three earned on eight hits across only five innings in a no-decision in his most recent outing, which Toronto lost 6-5.
Ultimately, it’s hard to not give Toronto a significant edge in starting pitching. The Blue Jays are 13-9 in Manoah’s starts this season, which includes a 6-2 record at home.
As for the lineups, Toronto ranks fifth in wRC+ this season while Baltimore checks in at 20th. The roles have been almost perfectly reversed in the month of August, however, as Baltimore ranks fifth in wRC+ and Toronto ranks 21st.
The Orioles have been hot, going 25-11 in their last 36 games overall. This seems like a favorable spot for them as they’ve had success against Toronto this season and are 9-2 in their last 11 during Game 2 of a series and 5-0 in their last five Tuesday games.
The Blue Jays have been cold, going 1-5 in their last six overall. The line is not justified in my opinion, so I’ll side with the Orioles against the moneyline as it represents better value.
Prediction: Orioles moneyline (+195 at bet365)
Covers MLB betting analysis
Over/Under analysis
If you played the Under in every game that these two starting pitchers appeared in during the 2022 season, you would’ve made a nice profit. The Orioles are 8-4 to the Under in Kremer’s 12 starts while the Blue Jays are 14-8 to the Under when Manoah is on the bump.
Baltimore has been hot at the plate, ranking fifth in both wOBA and wRC+ since the calendar flipped to June. Manoah has been fantastic this season, and it’s difficult to project the Orioles for an offensive explosion when facing a pitcher who has allowed just a 3.8% barrel rate this season.
Toronto’s lineup has gone through hot and cold stretches this season. It’s a potent lineup that can look very dangerous when things are clicking. The Blue Jays are in the midst of a cold spell, however, ranking 19th in wOBA and 21st in wRC+ in August.
Toronto is 9-2 to the Under in its last 11 games on astroturf and the Under has been a good play at the Rogers Centre during this cold spell, cashing in seven of the Blue Jays’ last nine home games.
Both of these starting pitchers have trended toward the Under this season, and I’ll bet on that to continue Tuesday night.
Prediction: Under 9 (-120 at DraftKings)
Best bet
I’m rocking with the Under as Tuesday’s Best Bet between the Orioles and Blue Jays.
Baltimore’s bats have been hot, but a matchup against Manoah is nothing to scoff at. The youngster has been terrific this season, posting a 2.56 ERA and 3.8% barrel rate. Toronto is 14-8 to the Under in games that he starts.
Meanwhile, Toronto’s lineup has gone cold, and though Kremer may not be a household name, the Orioles have gone 8-4 to the Under across his 12 starts.
Some books are posting a total of 8.5 but 9 is available in a few spots, so I’m grabbing that number and riding with Under 9 as the best bet.
Pick: Under 9 (-120 at DraftKings)
MLB parlays
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