3:07 pm
July 31

Royals @ Blue Jays

Who will WIN this matchup?

Kansas City Royals (45-57)

@ Toronto Blue Jays (52-48)

 

Starting Pitchers:

Minor (KC): 8-8; 5.32 ERA

Manoah (TOR) 2-1; 2.90 ERA

 

Current odds:

Kansas City Royals: (+177)

Toronto Blue Jays: (-210)

 

• The Toronto Blue Jays, bolstered by pitching acquisitions and a return to their home park, will be out to clinch their three-game series with the visiting Kansas City Royals Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays held on to defeat the Royals 6-4 Friday in their return to the Rogers Centre after an absence of 670 days. The Blue Jays, who had not played in Toronto since Sept. 29, 2019, because of COVID-19 restrictions, had been playing home games in Dunedin, Fla., and Buffalo.

• Toronto fans had other reasons to be excited. The Blue Jays, who already had acquired relief pitcher Brad Hand from the Washington Nationals, added starter Jose Berrios (Minnesota Twins) and reliever Joakim Soria (Arizona Diamondbacks) on Friday. Berrios could make his Blue Jays debut on Sunday.

• Manoah, meanwhile, will make his ninth career start and first against the Royals. He has not pitched since July 9 because of a back contusion from a fall on the dugout steps in Buffalo just before his scheduled next start.

• In eight career appearances (six starts), Minor is 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA against Toronto. In one start against Toronto this season, he allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 5-1 loss in Game 1 of the April 17 doubleheader.

• The Royals made a deal on Friday, sending outfielder Jorge Soler to the Atlanta Braves for minor league pitcher Kasey Kalich. Soler, a free agent at the end of the season, has hit six home runs in 12 games since the All-Star break after hitting seven in his first 82 games. He set the franchise record with 48 homers in 2019.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Toronto Blue Jays
Previous Pick
Next Pick