Another crushing Jays loss continued their prolonged slump Friday evening, as Toronto blew yet another road outing in extra innings. Having lost 7 of their past 8 contests, the red-hot Seattle Mariners are now firmly in the rear-view mirror entering Saturday’s crucial clash, sitting just two games back.
Despite swarms of Blue Jays’ fans invading T-Mobile Park to cheer on Toronto, it was the Mariners’ team again getting the last laugh, winning 5-2 in extra innings on a game-winning homer from Eugenio Suarez.
EUGENIO SUÁREZ WALK-OFF HOMER AND THE MARINERS WIN! pic.twitter.com/a0CUrUhaJu
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 9, 2022
Toronto was again done in by untimely hitting and a lack of killer instinct with runners in scoring position at the dish. Seattle combined excellent bullpen pitching, with some clutch at-bats to go up 2-0 in this pivotal four-game set. The Mariners will look for more fun Saturday night, when they turn to the new ace, and former Blue Jay, Robbie Ray. The free agent has rebounded in great fashion following a sluggish start to his season, and will be countered by Toronto’s ace, sophomore sensation Alek Manoah. With so much on the line, and a premier pitching matchup in store, it should make Saturday’s clash a must-see encounter.
PITCHING PROBABLES: Blue Jays: Alek Manoah (9-3, 2.33 ERA, .99 WHIP, 90 strikeouts); Mariners: Robbie Ray (7-6, 3.62 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 117 strikeouts)
Robbie Ray on Alek Manoah, who he is scheduled to face on Saturday. “He’s like a little brother to me He was just learning to be a big leaguer and I was teaching him the ropes.” #Bluejays.
— Rob Longley (@longleysunsport) July 7, 2022
Robbie Ray was of course the Cy Young winner last season in Toronto, and has carried over that form in July. His velocity is where it should be, and his strikeout to walk ratio has rebounded very nicely. While the Jays’ batters will no doubt be familiar with his pitches, actually getting contact on them will remain a whole other story, especially with how cold the Jays have been at the dish.
Huge ovation for Robbie Ray who strikes out a season-high 12. Allows just 1 run a solo shot to Andrus.
— Jen Mueller (@JenTalksSports) July 3, 2022
With both squads badly needing victories for their prospective post-season hopes, it makes Saturday night’s game all the more important. Will the Jays continue their season-worst slump? Or will this once hot offense get back on track against an old friend in Robbie Ray? For added insight, the latest news, trends, and analysis, continue reading on beneath the posted odds for our breakdown and betting prediction for this crucial Jays/M’s series. Enjoy the game, folks!
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Seattle Mariners Live Odds & Betting History
Betting odds provided by BOVADA
| TEAM DATA | BLUE JAYS | MARINERS |
| Overall Record | 45-40 | 43-42 |
| Over/Under/Push | 46-37-2 | 39-43-3 |
| Home/Away Record | 20-22 | 22-20 |
| Runs Per Game | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| Runs Allowed Per Game | 4.5 | 3.8 |
| Team Batting Average | .257 | .236 |
| Bullpen ERA | 4.30 | 3.69 |
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Seattle Mariners Prediction:
Losers of seven of their previous eight games, the Blue Jays continue this series absolutely reeling. Their offense is slumping once again, and with pitching that simply cannot be trusted – the Jays are in trouble and are in danger of falling out of the playoff picture altogether by the end of this four-game set vs. the Mariners.
Fortunately for Toronto, their unquestioned ace and only reliable arm right in Alek Manoah will take the mound Saturday night. He’s again in the hunt for a Cy Young in 2022, though his last outing was a tad concerning, and potentially an ominous sign of some struggles in the second half. The big righty out of West VIrginia struggled against a poor Oakland offense, and more concerning was the fact that he couldn’t explain a noticeable drop in velocity.
Clearly displeased Alek Manoah, a fierce competitor.. On what caused his drop in velocity tonight: “I absolutely have no clue.” #Bluejays
— Rob Longley (@longleysunsport) July 5, 2022
The righty was about two mph lighter than usual on his fastballs, and if that continues into Saturday night, this hot-hitting Seattle offense should be ready to pounce. Julio Rodriguez and Ty France at the top of the Mariners’ lineup continue to rake, and the Toronto pitching staff has had no answers for that tandem through two contests.
Reminder: Ty France can SWING it 💥
Keep those All-Star votes coming!
⭐ https://t.co/x3ZJ6plEfV ⭐ pic.twitter.com/YcACxvqsGM
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 6, 2022
The Blue Jays know all too well how great Robbie Ray can be on his pitching days, or ‘Ray Days’ as they became known in Toronto. With the veteran rounding into form, expect a big outings against his former club. Ray enters with five consecutive quality outings, and holds a miniscule 0.80 ERA over that dominant stretch. The talented lefty shouldn’t be worried about seeing a right-handed heavy lineup from the Jays, as this offense is simply rotten right now..
Robbie Ray, Wicked Sliders. 🤢
10Ks thru 6 pic.twitter.com/1Q3n3oeN8B
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 3, 2022
Blue Jays vs. Mariners Trends To Know
- Blue Jays are 1-6 in their last 7 games on grass.
- Blue Jays are 1-6 in their last 7 road games.
- Blue Jays are 1-7 in their last 8 overall.
- Mariners are 7-1 in their last 7 home games.
- Mariners are 14-3 in their last 17 overall.
- Blue Jays are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings in Seattle.
The Blue Jays are in need of some sort of miracle to salvage another season that seems to be slipping away, but it’s likely not coming. And especially not against the red-hot Robbie Ray, and this surging Mariners’ squad. He’ll be keen on jumping back into the Cy Young race, and will no doubt be eager to show his old team exactly what they are missing out on. The Jays being favored over anyone seems silly right now, and at another plus-price, the M’s show great value. Expect Seattle’s offense to dominate once again, and the Mariners dominance over the Jays should continue on Saturday evening as they inch closer to overtaking them in the AL Wild-Card race.
