The Toronto Blue Jays will look to shake off a dismal double-header showing yesterday by finishing off the Tampa Bay Rays with a series win on Sunday. The Jays’ pitching continued to be awful in both Games 1 and 2 yesterday, and the usually pedestrian Rays’ offense took full advantage.
In Game 1, Kevin Gausman left the game early due to a left leg contusion off of a hard liner back to the mound. And after that, it was all Tampa Bay for the rest of the day. The Blue Jays’ bullpen badly exhausted many of their relievers, and they continue to have one of the worst bullpens in baseball. It’s definitely something to watch as we close in on the MLB trade deadline.
With #BlueJays trailing 10-1, acting manager John Schneider removes Thomas Hatch from the game.
Hatch was ineffective from start to finish. He’s better than what he showed today, but this performance further underscores the lack of real SP depth available to Jays right now
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) July 2, 2022
It is only going to get harder for Toronto in the series finale, as Tampa Bay turns to another of their ‘aces’ in young flamethrower, Shane Baz. Baz has recently returned from injury and has the type of pitching profile that should give many of Toronto’s heralded hitters some fits on Sunday.
Shane Baz twirls his best MLB start thus far for @RaysBaseball:
6 IP
2 H
0 R
0 BB
7 K pic.twitter.com/HMUrD6lIgo— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 18, 2022
PITCHING PROBABLES: Rays: Shane Baz (0-1, 3.37 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 21 strikeouts); Blue Jays: Ross Stripling (4-2, 3.12 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 46 strikeouts)
The Jays will counter with reliever turned starter, Ross Stripling. The former Dodger has been stellar for the Jays, and has provided solid innings to a team in dire need of them. That said, Stripling has shown recent signs of fading, and with a tired and ineffective bullpen behind him, manager Charlie Montoyo might need to get creative to secure a series win for the Jays.
Ross Stripling since moving into the rotation June 6:
3-1, 1.31 ERA, 0.7 WAR
He’s 7th in ERA and 14th in WAR among all MLB starters over that span.
Imagine where this rotation would be without him?
— Josh Goldberg (@JGoldberg12) June 28, 2022
With two winning squads and playoff implications already on the line here in July, this should make for an exciting game amid a loaded Sunday slate of MLB action. Can the Rays continue an unlikely push up the standings with so many players injured? Or will the hometown Blue Jays prolong their dominant stretch? For more answers, as well as the latest trends, lineup news, and betting analysis, continue reading on beneath the posted odds for our winning wager on the Jays vs. Rays on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Toronto Blue Jays Live Odds & Betting History
Betting odds provided by BOVADA
| TEAM DATA | RAYS | BLUE JAYS |
| Overall Record | 42-36 | 44-35 |
| Over/Under/Push | 36-38-4 | 44-34-1 |
| Home/Away Record | 17-19 | 25-17 |
| Runs Per Game | 4.2 | 4.6 |
| Runs Allowed Per Game | 3.9 | 4.3 |
| Team Batting Average | .232 | .258 |
| Bullpen ERA | 3.29 | 4.29 |
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Toronto Blue Jays Prediction:
With Toronto cruising to two early series wins vs. Tampa Bay, the Rays responded in a big way yesterday, and have now wrestled back the momentum entering a crucial final game.
Shane Baz will be Tampa’s X-factor Sunday afternoon, as the young right-handed dominated his last time out. Against a potent Milwaukee lineup, Baz allowed just one run in six innings, and holds a miniscule 1.02 WHIP on the season to date. Though he has battled injuries, the talented pitcher will be keen on mowing down a tough Toronto lineup.
Ross Stripling has been solid himself, but really struggles at working deep into games. Not too often has he proceeded past the fifth inning, which has to be a real big concern for a depleted Toronto bullpen. Stripling had a highly successful month of June, registering a 1.59 ERA over six outings. He currently boasts a career-best 1.08 WHIP through 57 2-3 innings. This will be his first start of the season against the Rays. And though Tampa Bay’s offense has sputtered of late, yesterday’s outburst is sure to give this lineup some extra confidence entering Sunday.
Isaac Paredes over his last 10 games has 8 HR, 15 RBI, & 1.600+ OPS. He is only the 2nd Rays player EVER to have this 10-game span, joining Fred McGriff (1999).
He is just the 8th player age 23 or younger SINCE 1901 to accomplish this span, most recently Ronald Acuña (2018)! pic.twitter.com/zCvQiITytC
— Greg Harvey (@BetweenTheNums) July 3, 2022
The Jays will no doubt be looking to get back on track on Sunday, but against Shane Baz that’s going to be unlikely. He’s been outstanding of late at preventing contact, and opponents have only hit .182 off of him. He has allowed just 18 hits across 32 dominant innings, and his hard-throwing and variety of pitches will be tough on the right-handed heavy lineup of the Jays.
Ross Stripling meanwhile is facing down some imminent regression. He enters Sunday with opponents batting just .227 against him, though he holds an xBA of .271, indicating he’s getting quite fortunate on his balls in play. He’s allowed 15 hits in his past 14 innings, and we saw yesterday the dangers of allowing the Rays continually get on base.
Shane Baz, Wicked Sliders. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/5rC1fqepJ4
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 28, 2022
Rays vs. Blue Jays Trends To Know:
- Rays are 5-2 in their last 7 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Blue Jays are 2-3 in their last 5 games.
- The totals have gone OVER in 4 of Blue Jays’ last 5 games
- Tampa Bay are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games played in July.
Expect a hard-fought, with a series victory on the line for both of these teams. Shane Baz is one of the best up-and-coming pitchers in baseball, and expect him to make the Blue Jays very aware of that on Sunday. Ross Stripling can’t be counted on for much more, and it seems another Rays’ outburst looms large. The wrong team is favored here, so back Tampa at a nice underdog price.
