10:10 pm
August 13

Blue Jays @ Mariners

Who will WIN this matchup?

Toronto Blue Jays (62-52)

@ Seattle Mariners (61-55)

 

Starting Pitchers:

Ray (TOR): 9-5; 2.90 ERA

Flexen (SEA) 10-5; 3.81 ERA

 

Current odds:

Toronto Blue Jays: (-160)

Seattle Mariners: (+150)

 

• When the Toronto Blue Jays travel to Seattle, it’s often difficult to determine who the home team actually is. Thousands of Blue Jays fans from throughout western Canada flock to T-Mobile Park to cheer on their national team. Only this weekend, the Blue Jays’ fans not only won’t have a seat at the table, they won’t even be able to get into the house. While Canadian officials opened the U.S.-Canada border to vaccinated Americans earlier this week, the U.S. has yet to reciprocate due to a spike in coronavirus cases. The land border is closed to outsiders until at least Aug. 21. That means the host Mariners might actually feel like the home team when they open a three-game series against the Blue Jays on Friday night.

• This weekend’s series is important for both teams, as the Blue Jays are 2 1/2 games back in the race for the American League’s second and final wild-card playoff berth and the Mariners are 4 1/2 games out.

• The Blue Jays were shut down by Shohei Ohtani in a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night in Anaheim, Calif. It was just the fourth defeat for Toronto in its past 16 games. Despite a potent offense, the key to the Blue Jays’ recent run has been their pitching. Entering Thursday’s game, their starters were 9-1 with a 2.16 ERA over the previous 15 games.

• Toronto left-hander Robbie Ray (9-5, AL-leading 2.90 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener Friday against Mariners right-hander Chris Flexen (10-5, 3.81). Ray is 1-1 with a 3.91 ERA in four career starts against Seattle. He beat the Mariners 9-3 on June 29 in Buffalo, N.Y., when he allowed three runs on five hits in six innings, with 10 strikeouts.

• Flexen started against Ray in that game, his only previous appearance against the Blue Jays, but didn’t get a decision as he gave up three runs on seven hits in five innings.

• The Mariners have won two in a row, including a 3-1 decision Thursday afternoon against visiting Texas as Gonzales pitched a two-hitter and J.P. Crawford and Jake Fraley hit solo home runs.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Toronto Blue Jays
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