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The Toronto Blue Jays will be at home to face the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night. The Blue Jays lost by a score of 6-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday to fall to 54-44 this year. The Tigers are now 40-59 this season, courtesy of their 4-3 walk-off win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday.
Toronto has been reliable at home this season, as evidenced by their 31-20 record up north. They occupy the first Wild Card spot entering Thursday.
"Life is better when the Tigers win. #DetroitRoots" - Tigers
Toronto will go with Yusei Kikuchi for Thursday's matchup. He is 3-5 with a 5.12 ERA through 16 starts and will be trying to navigate a team that has struggled mightily this season. This poor Tigers lineup scores the fewest runs per game in the MLB.
In his last start, Kikuchi went 2 2/3 innings, allowing five walks and four earned runs while failing to get one strikeout. The left-hander's recent performances have been abysmal, holding an 8.05 ERA in his last six outings. Luckily for him, he'll face arguably the worst lineup in the league on Thursday.
Tyler Alexander, who is 0-3 with an 8.76 ERA as a starter, will be on the hill Thursday for Detroit. He has a 4.05 ERA this season, but this is due to his 1.29 ERA in 10 relief appearances. He'll be matched up with a lineup that is ranked #3 in runs per game and averaging 8.7 runs in their last seven.
Last start, Alexander tossed only 2 2/3 frames, giving up three hits and four earned runs. He's only averaged three innings per start in four outings, so expect the Tigers to lean on their bullpen in this one.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Detroit Tigers Match Details
Fixture: Detroit Tigers @ Toronto Blue Jays
Date & Time: Thursday, July 28, 7:07 p.m. EDT
Venue: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Detroit Tigers Betting Odds
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Detroit Tigers Best Picks
Teoscar Hernandez will step in against Tyler Alexander on Thursday. In these opposite-handed matchups, he has been impressive, holding a .906 OPS. Hernandez also carries a .925 OPS at home as he loves hitting in the Rogers Centre.
"Ahhhh, the ol' B̶a̶l̶t̶i̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ Boston chop" - BlueJays
Pick: Teoscar Hernandez Over 1.5 Total Bases (-105)
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Detroit Tigers Betting Prediction
The Blue Jays have a much more talented team all around. However, Kikuchi has been awful all year, so it's hard to rely on him to pitch well. Expect the Jays to win, but through five frames, the Tigers should be able to keep it close.
Prediction: Tigers First 5 Innings +1.5 (-132)
